Supervalu in Talks to Sell; UnitedHealth Profits Jump: Eden Prairie Business Roundup

Supervalu Admits to Shopping for Buyers

After announcing plans to sell part or all of the company in July, Supervalu admitted to being in talks with several potential buyers Thursday.

According to the Star Tribune, the supermarket giant's continuing decline in sales is putting the company in dire straits.

After the company's announcement Thursday, its stock rose nearly 5 percent, or 10 cents to close at $2.14 Thursday, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Supervalu said it "has received a number of indications of interest and is in active dialogue with several parties," but wouldn't comment further.

UnitedHealth Sees 23% Jump in Profits

Lower-than-expected claims combined with a significant increase in membership gave a major boost to Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group's latest quarter profits.

The company said third-quarter profits jumped 23 percent to $1.56 billion, or $1.50 per share, for the quarter that ended Sept. 30. In addition, revenue increased 8 percent to $27.3 billion.

According to the Star Tribune, United's strongest gains came from providing coverage to people eligible for Medicare, the government plan for seniors, and Medicaid, the state-federal program for low-income people. Growth in the company's Optum health services, which is based in Eden Prairie, helped anchor the rise and saw its indivdual earnings grow 28 percent compared to the same quarter last year.

Local Named "Best Chiropractor"

Eden Prairie resident and the owner of Floro Chiropractic, Dr. Olinda Floro, was recently voted “Best Chiropractor of 2012” in a readers' survey of Southwest Publications.