Healthcare stocks that struggled last year could be in for some relief. Now that there's less upheaval due to the pandemic, hospitals are resuming more normal operations, and that may mean better financial results -- and potentially better returns for healthcare investors this year.
An encouraging development suggests that brighter days could be ahead for stocks with exposure to hospitals, including Medical Properties Trust (NYSE: MPW) and HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA) .
A recent report from healthcare management consulting company Kaufman Hall shows that 2022 year-to-date operating margins at hospitals were a negative 0.2% as of November, according to its operating margin index (which looks at a national median). That's not great, but it's a significant improvement from the negative 3.4% for the index last January.
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Could This Send Shares of Medical Properties and HCA Healthcare Soaring in 2023?