(new: share price, experts and more background)

FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX Broker) - The key figures of Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) and the slightly higher than expected annual targets only gave the shares of the dialysis specialist a brief boost on Tuesday.

After the share price rose to 41.62 euros - its highest level since the end of September - the gains dried up completely in early trading. The largely sideways moving 200-day line at just over 40 euros, which FMC shares overcame for the first time since October, was immediately broken again. It indicates the longer-term trend for investors interested in chart technology.

Around midday, FMC shares in the MDax fell by 0.3 percent to 39.35 euros, in line with the market. The shares of major shareholder Fresenius in the Dax also reacted similarly. It quickly gave up its early gains and recently lost 0.8 percent to 26.46 euros.

According to analysts, FMC slightly exceeded its own targets for 2023 and is also slightly above expectations with the target ranges for sales and operating profit in 2024, but this was ultimately not enough.

Analyst Lisa Bedell Clive from Bernstein Research recalled that FMC shares had risen significantly since the figures of US dialysis provider Davita around a week ago. The competitor had reported slight adjusted growth in treatments for the USA and had forecast an increase in patient numbers of one to two percent for 2024.

FMC, on the other hand, reported adjusted treatment growth at the previous year's level for the fourth quarter and has not yet given any specific growth targets for the new year. "This is likely to be an important point during the conference call," Bedell Clive therefore expects with a view to the upcoming presentation of the balance sheet to analysts. According to her, FMC has presented a neutral set of figures and outlook overall, especially as the annual targets are largely in line with the average analyst estimates.

Barclays analyst Hassan Al-Wakeel spoke of a "solid end to the year". The operating result in the fourth quarter and the middle of the dialysis specialist's target range for 2024 were slightly above consensus expectations, he wrote. The expert sees it as encouraging that FMC continues to be strong in the implementation of its plans.

However, he also pointed out that he had spoken to the company after the presentation of the figures. In particular, Al-Wakeel emphasized that adjusted treatment growth had declined slightly quarter-on-quarter - which FMC had attributed to a lack of treatments around Christmas./ck/tav/jha/

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