** Shares of Australia's Ramsay Health Care RHC.AX jump 14.3% to A$43.640, their highest level since late-August 2024

** RHC marks its best intraday gain since late-February last year

** Stock among top gainers in the ASX200 benchmark index .AXJO

** Hospital operator posts 1H26 underlying earnings of A$171.7 million ($122.20 million), up 8.1% from last year, and about 15% ahead of the Visible Alpha consensus

** Announces interim dividend of 42.5 AU cents a share

** Guided to FY capital expenditure of A$755 million to A$795 million, implying lower spending in 2H26 vs 1H26

** RHC up 11.1% this year, as of last close

($1 = 1.4051 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Sameer Manekar in Bengaluru)

((Sameer.Manekar@thomsonreuters.com))