Aetna matches 4Q profit expectations, tops revenue forecasts

Aetna Inc. (AET) on Tuesday reported fourth-quarter profit of $232 million.

On a per-share basis, the Hartford, Connecticut-based company said it had net income of 65 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs and to extinguish debt, came to $1.22 per share.

The results matched Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was also for earnings of $1.22 per share.

The health insurer posted revenue of $14.77 billion in the period, beating Street forecasts. Analysts expected $14.55 billion, according to Zacks.

Aetna expects full-year earnings to be $7 per share.

Aetna shares have climbed nearly 4 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has declined roughly 2 percent. The stock has risen 35 percent in the last 12 months.

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This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on AET at http://www.zacks.com/ap/AET

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Keywords: Aetna, Earnings Report, Priority Earnings