Efforts to force down costs have healthcare sector feeling unusually queasy

Moody’s Talks – Behind the Bonds

Investors have long seen the vast healthcare industry as a defensive sector. In good times and bad, consumers will still need everything from pharmaceuticals to medical devices to for-profit hospitals. But how strong is the healthcare industry today? Companies in all healthcare segments are wrestling with ongoing pressure to reduce costs from governments and private insurers alike. With a wave of maturities slowly approaching, how strong is the threat of US healthcare company defaults? At 10:34 we cross the Atlantic to take a closer look at risks and opportunities this year for healthcare companies based in Europe.

Guests: Ola Hannoun-Costa, Corporate Finance Group, Associate Managing Director; Jean-Yves Coupin, Vice President – Senior Analyst; Marie Fischer-Sabatie, Senior Vice President; and Frederic Duranson, Vice President – Senior Analyst, all of the Corporate Finance Group at Moody’s Investors Service.

Host: Tania Hall, Vice President – Senior Research Writer, Moody’s Investors Service.

To read more on this topic, visit the Behind the Bonds page on Moodys.com. (Some content available only to registered users or subscribers.)

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