Earnings: StanCorp, UnitedHealth

The first life and health insurers to report second-quarter earnings reported profits.

StanCorp Financial Group Inc., Portland, Ore. (NYSE:SFG)

2 Q 2010 Results

NET INCOME: $41 million

REVENUE: $691 million

2 Q 2009 Results

NET INCOME: $56 million

REVENUE: $694 million

- Group insurance sales increased to $43 million, from $35 million.

- The ratio of benefits to premium revenue increased to 79.9%, from 74.2%, mainly because of an increase in long-term disability insurance incidence rates in the education and manufacturing sectors. “Claims experience within other industry sectors of the company’s long-term disability business was within the company’s expected range,” StanCorp says.

- The benefit ratio for the company’s relatively small block of individual disability insurance business increased to 66.1%, from 50%.

- Asset management income increased to $13 million before taxes, from $7.7 million, because of a combination of increased revenue and lower operating expenses.