Community Health Q1 Earnings Top on Rising Patient Volumes, Stock Up 8%

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Shares of Community Health Systems, Inc. CYH have risen 8.2% since it reported first-quarter 2025 results on April 23. The quarterly results benefited from increased same-store admissions, patient days and occupancy rate. However, the upside was partially offset by elevated salaries and benefits expenses.

CYH incurred a first-quarter 2025 adjusted loss of 3 cents per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 10 cents. Also, the bottom line narrowed from the prior-year loss of 14 cents per share. (See the Zacks Earnings Calendar to stay ahead of market-making news.)

Net operating revenues rose 0.6% year over year to $3.2 billion in the quarter under review. The top line beat the consensus mark by 1.4%.

Community Health Systems, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Community Health Systems, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Community Health Systems, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Community Health Systems, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Community Health Systems, Inc. Quote

CYH’s Q1 Operational Update

At the first-quarter end, the hospital count for Community Health was 73, lower than the year-ago level of 78.

Patient days tumbled 5.2% year over year to 468.37 billion and missed our model estimate of 467.4 billion. The average length of stay decreased 4.3% year over year to 4.4 days, while the occupancy rate of 56% increased from 53.9% in the year-ago quarter.

Adjusted admissions declined 2.3% year over year in the quarter under review. On a same-store basis, adjusted admissions improved 2.6% from the corresponding prior-year quarter’s reported figure.

CYH licensed beds totaled 10,788 as of March 31, 2025, which indicates a decrease of 9.1% from the prior-year quarter. Also, the reported figure missed our estimate by 2.2%.

Total operating expenses declined 1.2% year over year to $2.88 billion in the first quarter due to low non-operating expenses but rose from our estimate of $2.86 billion. Meanwhile, net interest expenses of $219 million increased 3.8% year over year.

The metric came higher than our estimate of $211.9 million.

The company reported a net income of $25 million in the first quarter against a loss of $6 million in the year-ago period. Adjusted EBITDA declined 0.5% year over year to $376 million in the quarter under review, primarily due to a decrease in acuity and non-patient revenues and increased expenses for outsourced medical specialists. The metric came above our estimate of $371.9 million.

CYH’s Financial Update (as of March 31, 2025)

Community Health exited the first quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $431 million, which increased significantly from $37 million at 2024-end. Total assets of $13.9 billion decreased from $14.1 billion at 2024-end.