DGAP-News: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG witnesses pleasing Q3 growth despite burden on earnings (english)

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG witnesses pleasing Q3 growth despite

burden on earnings



DGAP-News: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG / Key word(s): Quarter Results

RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG witnesses pleasing Q3 growth

despite burden on earnings



08.11.2012 / 07:03



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RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG reports +11.6 % growth in patient numbers

Revenues increase by +8.4 % to reach EUR 2.12 billion

Key personnel changes completed, focus on strategic concept



Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale, 8 November 2012



Patient numbers and revenues at the Group of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG have steadily

increased in the first three quarters of 2012. In the first nine months,

1,899,013 patients were treated, 11.6 per cent more than over the same

period of the previous year. Revenues climbed by 8.4 per cent to reach EUR

2.12 billion. The pleasing organic growth in revenues was further helped by

the consolidation of Dr. Horst Schmidt Kliniken (HSK) in Wiesbaden.



During the reporting period, net consolidated profit stood at EUR 70.2

million, and was thus -41.6 per cent below the level of the same period in

2011. Operating EBITDA declined over the same period by -11.7 per cent to

EUR 215.3 million. These developments in the first nine months of the year

have come in the wake of the takeover offer by Fresenius, regulatory and

wage burdens as well as delays in major restructuring projects. The

pre-year figures were moreover positively influenced by one-off,

non-operative extraordinary effects. EBIT declined in the first three

quarters of 2012 by -27.2 per cent to EUR 111.4 million.



After deducting minority interests in profit of EUR 1.9 million from net

consolidated profit of the first nine months, earnings per share (EPS)

stands at EUR 0.49.

The situation at Gießen and Marburg University Hospital (UKGM) has further

intensified over the past months with the result that the outlook in this

area for 2012 has to be revised downwards by roughly EUR 15 million, as the

Company already informed yesterday. After re-assessing the situation at

UKGM, and with the backing of a consensus-based restructuring plan prepared

by a renowned corporate consultancy firm, the Board of Management of the

Company is now convinced that the prospects for the successful business and

management restructuring of the university hospital are promising.



At the level of the Group as a whole, additional burdens in the

single-digit million range have arisen in the second half of the year, with

the result that these, coupled with the burdens from UKGM, will feed

through to full-year operating earnings (EBITDA) to the tune of roughly EUR

20 million. For financial year 2012, RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG thus expects revenues

of EUR 2.85 billion, which may fluctuate within a range of plus or minus

2.5 per cent. This revenue target is accompanied by a forecast for EBITDA

of EUR 295 million and for net consolidated profit of EUR 95 million, in

each case subject to a variation of +/- 5 per cent.



'Operating efficiency and economic viability are the very basis for the

success of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG - the basis for continuing this success story

has been provided', said Wolfgang Pföhler, chairman of the Board of

Management of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG. 'Rising patient numbers and revenues have

also been achieved thanks to our steadfast efforts at reviewing and

optimising our processes and strategies. The Company's long-term objective

of establishing a care offering at the national level continues to be the

focus of our efforts. The Company will continue to work towards this

objective with various strategy projects'.



Outlook



The German legislator has taken various measures and provisions introducing

a new financing basis for the hospital area. The additional financing due

to the high collective wage deals will benefit hospitals already this year,

albeit only partially and, on the whole, inadequately. The introduction of

a pro rated orientation value for rising prices from 2013 is an important

step towards greater transparency in the actual cost trend at the

hospitals. Nonetheless, the orientation value published in September 2012

for the first time, at 2 per cent, represents only a small price rise for

hospitals.



Yesterday's decision by the Supervisory Board of RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG to

appoint Dr. med. Dr. jur. Martin Siebert as the future chairman of the

Board of Management brings the round of key personnel decision of recent

weeks to a conclusion, with the result that the Company can now press ahead

further with strategic work on realising an innovative, national care

offering as announced in early October and now begun under the lead of the

Board of Management.





End of Corporate News



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08.11.2012 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a

company of EquityStory AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



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Language: English

Company: RHÖN-KLINIKUM AG

Schlossplatz 1

97616 Bad Neustadt a.d.Saale

Germany

Phone: +49 (0)9771 - 65-0

Fax: +49 (0)9771 - 97 467

E-mail: rka@rhoen-klinikum-ag.com

Internet: www.rhoen-klinikum-ag.com

ISIN: DE0007042301

WKN: 704230

Indices: MDAX

Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard), München;

Freiverkehr in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart





End of News DGAP News-Service

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