Thanks to the sale of its pharmacy management unit NextRx, WellPoint delivered net profits of $4.7 billion last year, an 88% jump over 2008. Excluding the sale, earnings were less healthy. Reason: The departure of 1.4 million members from its 33 million-plus subscriber base, a decrease mostly attributable to companies slashing their payroll. But health benefits provider is off to a fast start in 2010, already adding 400,000 new members. The company hopes to grow its customer base further with such initiatives as Care Comparison, an online service that allows members to access information on drug costs and quality. --P.N. |
| Key financials |
$ millions |
% change
from 2008 |
| Revenues |
65,028.1 |
6.2 |
| Profits |
4,745.9 |
90.5 |
| Assets |
52,125.4 |
— |
| Stockholders' equity |
24,863.3 |
— |
| Market value (3/26/2010) |
27,989.8 |
— |
| Profits as % of |
|
| Revenues |
7.3 |
| Assets |
9.1 |
| Stockholders' equity |
19.1 |
| Earnings per share |
|
| 2009 $ |
9.88 |
| % change from 2008 |
107.6 |
| 1999-2009 annual growth rate % |
N.A. |
| Total return to investors |
% |
| 2009 |
38.4 |
| 1999-2009 annual rate |
N.A. |
|
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