Topic: How To Invest

Q: Pat: Can I have your opinion on Medical Facilities Corp.? Thanks for the ongoing advice.

Article Excerpt

A: Medical Facilities Corp., $13.59, symbol DR on Toronto (Shares outstanding: 31.0 million; Market cap: $419.7 million, www.medicalfacilitiescorp.ca), owns majority interest in five specialty surgical hospitals in South Dakota, Indiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas. It also operates as an outpatient surgery clinic in California. The company’s specialty hospitals perform scheduled surgical, imaging and diagnostic procedures. Their revenue mostly comes from the fees they charge patients, and their insurers, for use of the facilities. The outpatient centre specializes in surgical procedures where patients typically go home within 24 hours. In the three months ended September 30, 2017, Medical Facilities saw its revenue increase 12.9%, to $89.0 million from $78.8 million a year earlier (all figures except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). That was mostly due to a rise in the number of surgical cases, up 5.2% from a year earlier. Cash flow rose 17.2%, to $12.3 million, or $0.40 a share, from $10.5 million, or $0.34. Demand for Medical Facilities’ services should…