Community Health expects less '08 revenue

Hospital chain Community Health Systems is expecting to make a healthy profit in 2008, but expects to take in less revenue this year than it originally had projected. The company, which just released 2008 profit guidance to Wall Street, expects to make between $2.25 and $2.45 per share on revenue of $11 billion and $11.3 billion. If it hits these targets, that would mean a raise in revenue of 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent. Still, that's less than the boys on Wall Street predicted, so the company's stock fell on the announcement. It's kind of perverse, though, given that still making good profits on lower income suggests a smart management team, not failure!

Along the way, the company--now the largest publicly-traded hospital operator in the U.S.--just agreed to sell its interest in Dublin-based Beacon Hospital. It still operates, owns or leases 125 hospitals in 28 states.

To learn more about Community Health's outlook:
- read this Associated Press item

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