With the third week of January, more and more publicly traded companies have begun to announce their operating results from the fourth-quarter of 2016 and the full-2016 year. Three companies with New York Stock Exchange-listed shares reported numbers in this morning's pre-market. S&P Futures currently point to a lower opening, down 0.5 percent. Gold and oil each rallied, by over 1 percent, overnight. Gold was up over $20, by 1.6 percent to $1,218.30 per ounce; oil was up by $0.63 to $53.78.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) stock was higher in the pre-market after the 90-year-old firm reported fourth-quarter 2016 earnings per share of $0.81, beating the Wall Street analyst consensus of $0.65, reported by Yahoo Finance, by $0.16, or 24.6 percent.
EPS was up $0.38, or 88.4 percent, year over year.
The Morgan Stanley earnings report included gross sales of $9.0 billion, beating estimates of $8.47 billion, by about $500 million, or 6 percent. Revenue was up $1.14 billion, from $7.86 billion, or 14.5 percent, year over year. The employer of 55,256 people has scheduled a conference call for 8:30 a.m. ET that is accessible from the firm's investor relations website.
MS CEO James Gorman held up the financial services firm's "consistent strong performance." With regard to Morgan Stanley's prospects in 2017, he stated that he is "optimistic" and that the company remains "focused on serving our clients and achieving our strategic objectives."
UNH stock up on UnitedHealth earnings
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE: UNH) stock was bought up in pre-market trading on the company's fourth-quarter 2016 financial results.
UnitedHealth earnings, on a per-share basis, were reported as $2.11, beating the consensus estimate of $2.07, by $0.04, or 1.9 percent.
On a year-over-year basis, UNH earnings increased from $1.40, by $0.71, or 50.7 percent. The health care plan provider reported revenue of $47.5 billion, beating expectations of $47.3 billion, by $370 million, or 0.8 percent.
UnitedHealth revenues were up $3.9 billion, year over year, by 8.9 percent. Management has scheduled a conference call for investors and the analyst community for 8:45 a.m. ET, which may be accessed from the UnitedHealth investor relations website.
CEO Stephen Hemsley reiterated the company's outlook for the full-2017 year, with adjusted EPS of $9.30 to $9.60 and revenue of $197-$199 billion.
Hemsley stated that "further growth in 2017 and beyond rests on continuing to drive ever higher quality and increasing value to consumers, care providers and customers across our spectrum of businesses."
CMA stock lower on Comerica earnings
Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) stock was slightly lower in early trading after the Texas financial services company reported its fourth-quarter 2016 financial results. Comerica reported net income that rose from $115 million in the fourth quarter of 2015 to $163 million.
The employer of over 8,500 people reported net income per share of $0.92, up $0.28 from $0.64, by 43.8 percent, year over year. Management with the firm has a conference call scheduled for 8 a.m.
ET, a broadcast of which will be available from the Comerica investor relations website.
Comerica CEO Ralph Babb cited 2016 as a "pivotal" year and lauded the firm's continuing operations, saying they had "benefited meaningfully from increased interest rates, and our overall credit metrics remained strong." The firm cited a "low rate environment" assumption with regard to its 2017 outlook.
