WellPoint quarterly profit rises

Health insurer WellPoint Inc said on Wednesday that its fourth-quarter net profit had risen to $464.2 million, or $1.51 per share, helped by an income tax settlement and investment gains.

On an adjusted basis, the company said earnings had increased to $1.03 per share from 99 cents a year earlier, driven by cost controls and operating results.

The company said it expected a 2013 net profit of at least $7.60 per share. Analysts have been expecting $7.98 on average, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. It was not immediately clear if the two numbers are comparable.

(Reporting by Caroline Humer; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)