2241 GMT - Nursing costs are likely to remain painful for Ramsay Health Care, reckons Citi. It highlights that employee costs eat up some 57% of revenue, and a significant proportion is for nursing staff. "Our analysis of Ramsay's Enterprise Bargaining Agreements and recent public sector agreements suggest that nursing staff wage growth could increase from 4% in FY 2025 to more than 4.5% per annum over FY 2026-2027," analyst Mathieu Chevrier says. The outcome will depend on wage negotiations in three states that account for some 80% of Ramsay's nursing staff in Australia, Citi says. Negotiations are ongoing in New South Wales. Enterprise Bargaining Agreements in Queensland and Victoria are due to expire in June and September, respectively. Citi retains a neutral call on Ramsay. (david.winning@wsj.com; @dwinningWSJ)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 05, 2024 17:41 ET (22:41 GMT)
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