CONTACTS:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OLDWICK - AUGUST 21, 2014 09:23 AM (EDT)
The health insurance index population stocks continued their momentum into the second quarter of 2014, rising 12.9% in aggregate for the quarter after gains of 3.5% in the first quarter and 41.3% for all of 2013. This is an outperformance of the S&P 500, which experienced gains of 5.4% in the first quarter of 2014 and 6.8% through the second quarter, according to an A.M. Best special report.
The best performer in the quarter was Health Net (HNT, up 26.4%), while UnitedHealth Group Inc. was the only insurer in the population to decline, dropping 0.1%. Eight of the 12 insurers saw their stock price increase by double-digit percentages, while four of those were up more than 20%. Through the six months ended June 30, 2014, Triple-S Management Corp. was the only insurer to report a decline, down 6.5%. Conversely, top performers for the first six months of 2014 included HNT (44.9%), Molina Healthcare (32.7%) and Centene Corp. (32.1%). Seven companies experienced double-digit price increases in the first half of 2014.
To access a copy of this report, please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?record_code=227905 .
A.M. Best Company is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source.