Analysts were expecting Universal American Corp (UAM) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.59 for last quarter, but UAM beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.72---13 cents above the consensus estimate. UAM also issued earnings guidance for next quarter that is above current analyst expectations.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.56 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that UAM’s earnings are up this year.

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Also, if you compare UAM's 7.33% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 11.32% for the Health Care Plans industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect UAM to underperform the industry in the future---which is a bad sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Health Care Plans industry, you can see how analysts believe UAM will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like CIGNA Corp. (CI) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Unitedhealth Group, Inc. (UNH) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe CI's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 10.43% while UNH's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 11.56%.

Earnings season can be a volatile time in the stock market. Check out these videos and articles to be better prepared to take advantage of the large price moves that tend to accompany earnings announcements.

- Earnings Season is Here - Find Out How to Trade It

- Using Options to Trade Earnings

- Understanding Stock Analyst Research and Recommendations

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