“Many hospitals have committed to a capital expenditure plan aimed at expanding their current bed capacity as this trajectory is set to drive an upward trend in healthcare expenditure moving forward,” said Gaurang Shah, senior vice president, Geojit Financial Services. “We are positive on Apollo Hospitals, Fortis Healthcare and Narayana Hrudayalaya from a long-term point of view.”
The sector witnessed a return on equity (ROE) expansion due to profitability improvement, led by healthy operating leverage over FY19-23.
Most hospital stocks outperformed in the last six months, rallying between 15% and 50%. Apollo Hospital gained 18%, while Max Healthcare and Fortis Healthcare have rallied 25% during this period. Shares of Narayana Hrudayalaya, Global Health, Krishna Institute Of Medical, Aster DM Healthcare, Rainbow Children’s Medicare and Healthcare Global Enterprise surged between 38% and 55%.
Analysts say the sector is at the start of a transformative revolution driven by government initiatives, technological advancements, and growing awareness about the importance of accessible and quality healthcare.
“Hospital chains in India are reporting steady improvement in key operational metrics such as higher occupancy rate, rising insurance penetration and increase in average revenue per operating bed (ARPOB) per day,” said Prathamesh Masdekar, analyst, StoxBox. “With strong operational efficiency, Apollo Hospitals and Fortis Healthcare look attractive amongst its peers as they enjoy a robust presence across the healthcare ecosystem, including hospitals, pharmacies, primary care and diagnostic clinics.”
Over the years, India has become a premier and attractive destination for travellers from across the world to attain best-in-class clinical treatment. As of 2020, India’s medical value tourism market was $3 billion, according to a note by Motilal Oswal Financial Services. It is projected to surge to more than $ 13 billion by 2026.Analysts anticipate that most hospitals will deliver a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8-10% in operating profits (EBITDA) per occupied bed during the fiscal years 2023 to 2028.
Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
Top Trending Stocks: Sensex Today Live, SBI Share Price, Axis Bank Share Price, HDFC Bank Share Price, Infosys Share Price, Wipro Share Price, NTPC Share Price