UnitedHealth posted a better-than-expected profit in the final quarter of 2024, but a nagging rise in medical costs and care utilization surprised Wall Street. Shares of the health care giant slid Thursday after it released its first financial report since the brazen shooting of one of its executives outside a New York City hotel touched a

UnitedHealth Group Inc. reported fourth-quarter profit that surpassed Wall Street’s expectations in its first financial statement since a top executive was killed in New York last month.

UnitedHealth reported a full-year medical cost ratio — the percentage of premiums spent on medical care — of 85.5%, compared with the average analyst estimate of 84.96%, according to data compiled by LSEG. On an adjusted basis, the company earned $6.81 per share in the fourth quarter, compared with estimates of $6.72 per share.