LifePoint, Triad offer earnings guidance

A crunching noise was heard on Wall Street today as analysts digested bad news from LifePoint. The hospital chain issued guidance on its 2006 earnings. The Brentwood, TN-based company predicts earnings of $2.18 to $2.35 per share next year on earnings of $2.3 billion, a whole lot less than the $2.87 per share and revenues of $2.7 billion that the Street was expecting. Analysts called the news "terribly disappointing" and say it signifies that the company had "a very hard fourth quarter." Hospital stocks were down across the board this morning.

- see this article from The Street

PLUS: Plano, TX-based Triad also reported fourth-quarter earnings will be 65 cents to 67 cents per share, slightly lower than Wall Street wanted. Article