OREANDA-NEWS. German healthcare group Fresenius SE expects its adjusted net income to rise between 9 and 12 percent at constant currencies this year, helped by additional earnings from the purchase of new hospitals and demand for healthcare services.

It said on Wednesday that growth rate implied an increase in underlying net income to about 1.27 billion euros (\\$1.4 billion) from last year's 1.09 billion when applying Feb. 20 exchange rates to the rest of the year.

Fresenius last year wrapped up a 3 billion euro purchase of hospitals and outpatient facilities from peer Rhoen-Klinikum, resulting in a 42 percent jump in annual operating profit at its hospitals unit, Helios.