Fresenius Takes Over Helios Clinics

Healthcare group Fresenius is acquiring the private hospital chain Helios Clinics in a deal that will make Fresenius one of Germany's leading providers of private hospital care. Analysts say it's a good buy, but not cheap, and Fresenius shares fell in Friday trading. Helios runs 24 private clinics across Germany. Around one million patients are treated in their wards each year, generating over one billion euros in sales. Fresenius is paying 1.5 billion euros for Helios. The company, which has a dialysis subsidiary -- Fresenius Medical Care -- says that having Helios on its balance sheet will increase profits next year by 25 percent.