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February 23 (Reuters) – German healthcare agency Fresenius lowered its 2021 sales growth forecast and said it would launch a cost-cutting program as coronavirus-related patient deaths measure full-term outcomes. year of his dialysis unit.
In early February, the Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) separately listed dialysis unit warned that its 2021 earnings could fall by up to a quarter as high mortality among its patients exceeded greater demand for dialysis in cases. COVID-19.
“This year, the pandemic will once again present us with a number of challenges, making it even more important that we increase efficiency to improve our cost base,” Group Chief Executive Stephan Sturm said in a statement.
Fresenius said it expected 2021 sales to grow in a low percentage range to mid-single-digit and confirmed the outlook for net income to be at least stable. In early February, the group said it expected “healthy sales growth. ”
The company net income for the organization without the dialysis unit Fresenius Medical Care should grow in a medium to high percentage range in stable money.
The group said the proposed measures should provide annual savings of at least 100 million euros after tax and minority interest from 2023 after an initial cost of around 100 million euros per year between 2021 and 2023 .
FMC, which reported a loss of revenue and operating income for 2020, also said it planned to invest up to 500 million euros in cost-cutting measures over the next five years.
Fresenius’ full-year total revenue came in at 1.80 billion euros ($ 2.19 billion) on the basis of currency fluctuations, which were forecast to decline by as much as 4% and forecasts the inspectors.
$ 1 = 0.8217 euro $ 1 = 0.8218 euro Reporting by Zuzanna Szymanska in Gdansk Edition by Tomasz Janowski