A hospital corridor. (Annette Riedl/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Shares of private hospital operator Life Healthcare crashed almost 7% on Thursday after it flagged weakness in its core profit amid a rise in operating costs and a negative shift in its patient mix.
Headline earnings are expected to rise by between 60.3% and 68.3% in the six months to end-March, the group said in an update, while basic earnings could lift by as much as about 543%.
Life Healthcare had benefitted in 2024 from a one-off R2.8 billion gain on the disposal of UK diagnostics business Alliance Medical, while lower debt levels also helped slash net interest costs by 86%. Life Healthcare had netted R10.2 billion from the sale and paid an R8.8 billion special dividend in April.
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