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Get Four
|  | JANUARY 10, 2005
 WORD ON THE STREET Goldman Makes WellPoint Top Pick Analyst Matthew Borsch raises the managed health care company's estimates based on share buybacks and an upside to merger synergies Goldman names Wellpoint (WLP ) as its top pick in the managed care group. Analyst Matthew Borsch says WellPoint is his top stock pick for 2005. He raises his $6.60 2004 operating earnings per share estimate to $6.62. He ups his $7.70 2005 earnings per share to $7.77 and $9.00 2006 earnings per share to $9.10. He thinks WellPoint will outperform the group under either moderately favorable or a moderately unfavorable scenario for industry, with defensive positioning with price leadership in its 13 core markets and limited exposure to nonprofit Blues. With the benefit of share buybacks and upside to merger synergies, he believes WellPoint can achieve his 17% earnings per share growth forecast in 2005 to 2006 even if organic net income growth slows to 10%.  All of the views expressed in this research report accurately reflect the research analyst's personal views regarding any and all of the subject securities or issuers. No part of analyst compensation was, is or will be, directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations or views expressed in this research report. Standard & Poor's Regulatory Disclosure Any advice, analysis, or recommendations contained in articles labeled "Insight from Standard & Poor's" reflect the views of Standard & Poor's, which operates separately from and independently of BusinessWeek Online. It is possible that BWOL may from time to time publish information that is not consistent with advice, analysis, or recommendations that are published by Standard & Poor's. Standard & Poor's and BusinessWeek Online are each units of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Get BusinessWeek directly on your desktop with our RSS feeds.  Add BusinessWeek news to your Web site with our headline feed. Click to buy an e-print or reprint of a BusinessWeek or BusinessWeek Online story or video. To subscribe online to BusinessWeek magazine, please click here. Learn more, go to the BusinessWeekOnline home page  | | |
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