Fresenius Helios takes steps toward antitrust approval for acquisition of Rhön-Klinikum hospitals

Fresenius Helios is moving to meet the conditions set by the German antitrust authority for the acquisition of 40 hospitals and 13 outpatient facilities from Rhön-Klinikum AG. The company expects to close the major part of the transaction in the first quarter of 2014, following antitrust approval within the scheduled review period.

The German antitrust authority required that three Rhön-Klinikum hospitals – in Boizenburg, Cuxhaven and Waltershausen-Friedrichroda – be excluded from the acquisition due to their geographical proximity to existing HELIOS facilities. They will remain with Rhön-Klinikum AG. Based on the authority's market assessment for the Leipzig region, HELIOS is selling two hospitals in Borna and Zwenkau, which are close to two hospitals in Leipzig that Fresenius Helios is acquiring from Rhön-Klinikum. The Borna and Zwenkau hospitals are purchased by HCM SE, a healthcare management company. Annual sales of these five hospitals are approximately €160 million.

Fresenius still expects the acquisition to be accretive to earnings per share in the first 12 months after closing, excluding one-time costs¹. The acquisition is expected to be clearly accretive from the second year onwards, including one-time costs.

¹ One-time costs are approximately €80 million before tax.