Australia's biggest private hospitals operator, Ramsay Health Care, says it has delivered its best financial results since listing on the Australian share market.
Ramsay, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014 but also mourned the death of founder and chairman Paul Ramsay, says all operations in Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Malaysia and Indonesia performed very strongly during fiscal 2014, and the outlook for the group was good.
Ramsay managing director Christopher Rex said it was a shame that Paul Ramsay was not alive to see the group's "outstanding" set of numbers.
"I think it's the best set of numbers certainly I've presented, probably the best set of numbers that have ever been presented since we floated (on the Australian Securities Exchange) in 1997," Mr Rex said on Thursday.
Group revenue, core net profit, earnings per share, and full-year dividend all rose significantly in a range of 17 to 21 per cent.
Reported net profit for the year ended June 30 lifted 14 per cent to $303.8 million from $266.4 million a year earlier.
Ramsay is targeting profit growth of 14 to 16 per cent in fiscal 2015 as its continues to acquire more hospitals and upgrade and expand existing facilities.
Mr Rex said Ramsay was currently investigating acquisition opportunities in Asia.
"I am hopeful, maybe even confident, that we will have something to talk about in the not too distant future."
Ramsay was considering options in China where rules governing foreign participation in the healthcare system had been relaxed.
"China will be an enormous opportunity for companies like ours at some point," Mr Rex said.
Ramsay currently operates three hospitals in Malaysia in a joint venture with Sime Darby, and has three hospitals in Indonesia.
Mr Rex said Ramsay Health Care had evolved from operating one psychiatric hospital in North Sydney into one of the top five private hospitals operators in the world.
After the completion of the acquisition of the Generale de Sante hospital group in France, expected in late September 2014, Ramsay will have more than 212 hospitals across five countries; employ more than 55,000 people; have 25,000 beds and places; and treat more than 2.5 million patients each year.
Generale de Sante is the largest private hospitals group in France.
Mr Rex said the expansion and ageing of the population would continue to underpin the hospitals sector.
There was no question that healthcare would be one of, if not the greatest, engines of growth for economies across the world for the next 30 to 40 years.
Shares in Ramsay gained 73 cents to $52.06.
ACQUISITIONS AND UPGRADES TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE RAMSAY PROFIT
* Full year net profit of $303.8m, up 14 pct from $266.4m in 2012/13
* Revenue of $4.9b, up 17.5 pct from $4.2b
* Final dividend of 51 cents per share, up from 41.5 cents
AAP tsc/gfr
Share
