Aetna first-quarter earnings, revenue beat expectations

Aetna posted strong first-quarter earnings and revenue on Tuesday as the Medicare Advantage business of the fifth-largest U.S. health insurance company grew significantly.

The Hartford, Connecticut, which has accepted a takeover offer from CVS Health, reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.19 on adjusted revenue of $15,216, a big improvement over its year-earlier performance of $2.71 per share on revenue of $15,487.

“Our Medicare growth strategy remains on track as we grew to serve nearly 250,000 additional Medicare Advantage members in the first quarter," CEO Mark T. Bertolini said in a statement.

A  severe flu season weighed on performance, said the company, shares of which were slightly lower in premarket trading.