Ramsay Health Care: Shares Undervalued With Long-Term Margin Recovery Largely Intact

Ramsay’s Australian business enabled its global acquisitions, but the market fundamentals offshore are far less attractive. The key differentiator is the proportion of private health insurance, or PHI, coverage of the population. According to data from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, 45% of the Australian population have PHI resulting in roughly 80% of Ramsay’s Australian revenue flowing from PHI versus 20% or less in its other geographies. This has a direct impact on profits earned as providers are price-takers in publicly outsourced work.