Hospital operator HCA's quarterly profit dented by hurricane hit; shares slide
Adds peers' shares in paragraph 5, analyst comment in paragraph 6, 2024 forecast in paragraph 9
Oct 25 (Reuters) -HCA Healthcare HCA.N reported lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Friday and forecast up to a $300-million hit in the fourth quarter due to delays in medical procedures from recent hurricanes, causing its shares to drop 9%.
Hospitals in the direct path of the hurricanes postponed procedures, further strained by IV fluid shortages due to flooding at a major U.S. facility.
HCA, the largest for-profit U.S.hospital operator, said it experienceda loss of revenue in the third quarter ended Sept. 30 fromthe impact of Hurricane Helene on some of its facilities in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.
Itexpects expenses and revenue lossbetween $200 million and $300 million in the fourth quarter due to a hit from HurricanesHelene and Milton, it said.
Shares of other hospital operators, Tenet Healthcare THC.N and Universal Health Services UHS.N, also fell, by 6% and 8%, respectively, in early trading.
However, the impact from the hurricanes "does not change the long-term fundamental growth outlook of HCA", according to Baird analyst Michael Ha.
The company closed five hospitals in Florida earlier this month in preparation for Hurricane Milton and transferred about 400 patients throughout the state to mandatory evacuation zones.
HCA expects a "manageable" hitfrom Hurricane Helene on its North Carolina facilities even next year. It forecast 2025 profit to be near or slightly above the upper end of its long-term growth range.
It expects its 2024 profit and revenue forecasts to be in the "lower half of the ranges provided", due to lingering effects from the hurricanes.
HCA's quarterly revenue of $17.49 billion missed an estimate of $17.54 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
The company reportedthird-quarter profit of $4.88per share. Analysts on average had expecteda profit of $4.97per share.
Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai
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