What happened
Shares of health savings account (HSA) specialist HealthEquity (HQY -0.42%) were zooming well into the black this week. As of Thursday's market close, its stock was up by almost 10% week-to-date thanks to some encouraging statistics the company released on Tuesday.
So what
HealthEquity issued a business update that morning in advance of a company presentation at a healthcare industry conference. The figures released show that it's poised for well better-than-expected results for both 2021 as a whole, and for at least the early part of this year.
Image source: Getty Images.
It wrote in the update that the total number of HSAs in its portfolio is expected to be roughly 7.2 million as of this coming Jan. 31. That's a sturdy improvement of around 24% year over year.
As that figure goes, so goes total HSA assets. HealthEquity's estimate for that line item is approximately $19.8 billion, representing growth of roughly 38%.
All told, the company is forecasting that its end-year number of total accounts will be around the 14.4 million mark, which is about 13% higher than the tally at the end of 2020.
HealthEquity credited "record new openings and custodial asset growth" for the boost in its metrics.
Now what
The update was a particularly welcome development for HealthEquity investors, many of whom were surely still displeased after their company released disappointing third-quarter results in early December. In unveiling those quarterly figures, HealthEquity cut its guidance for both revenue and per-share net profit.
While the company didn't provide new forecasts for either of the two line items in its business update, those nicely rising metrics bode well for its financials. No wonder investors have suddenly gotten more bullish on the stock.
