Sonic Healthcare soars most in nearly 2-1/2 years as profit tops pre-COVID levels

Sonic Healthcare

16/02/2023 24:37

** Shares of Sonic Healthcare Ltd  SHL.AX  rise as much as
9.7% to A$31.89 in their best intraday pct gain since Aug. 20,
2020
    ** Co posts first-half net profit A$382 mln ($263.73 mln),
down 54% from a year ago, but up 50% from first-half of fiscal
2020; net profit in line with Citi estimates
    ** Base business revenue grows 9% from a year ago to A$3.70
bln, up 11% from 1H20
    ** "Sonic's base business margins remain strong and in line
with pre-pandemic levels" - co
    ** SHL second biggest pct gainer in the ASX 200 benchmark
index  .AXJO ; up for third straight session
    ** SHL down 3% this year, as of last close, vs a 4.5%
increase in the ASX 200 benchmark index  .AXJO  
($1 = 1.4484 Australian dollars)
 (Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru)
 ((Sameer.Manekar@thomsonreuters.com; Twitter: https://twitter.com/sameer_manekar))