DaVita profit climbs 15 percent in 4th quarter

[okarol]

DaVita profit climbs 15 percent in 4th quarter
Wednesday February 11, 7:06 am ET
DaVita profit climbs 15 percent in 4th quarter on more procedures; company backs 2009 outlook

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -- Dialysis services company DaVita Inc. said late Tuesday its profit rose 15 percent in the fourth quarter as its treatment volumes increased.

DaVita reported a profit of $98.4 million, or 94 cents per share, in the last quarter of 2008. That compares with net income of $85.7 million, or 79 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier. Revenue increased 8 percent to $1.46 billion from $1.35 billion.

Analysts expected profit of 90 cents per share and revenue of $1.47 billion, according to a Thomson Reuters survey.

DaVita said it operated 1,449 outpatient dialysis centers at the end of the quarter, an increase of 90 from the end of 2007. It performed 52,484 treatments per day, up 4.9 percent from the year-ago quarter.

The company's adjusted profit grew 10 percent in 2008, to $374.2 million, or $3.53 per share, from $340.3 million, or $3.17 per share. Revenue climbed 8 percent to $5.66 billion from $5.26 billion.

DaVita maintained its guidance for operating income of $820 million to $880 million in 2009.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090211/earns_davita.html?.v=1

[Zach]

And who says these large dialysis chains need additional money from Medicare?

[Rerun]

We are just a bunch of mice running circles in their blood pumps making them HUGE profits!  Yes, it keeps us alive, but do they really do it for that reason?  If funding was cut would they keep open so we could live one more day? 

52,484 treatments per day.  That is nuts!