Nov 8 (Reuters) – Healthcare IT firm Allscripts Healthcare
Solutions Inc said it is evaluating strategic
alternatives, sending its shares up 10 percent in extended
trade.
“We are confirming today that in light of the ongoing
interest expressed in the company by third parties, the company
is evaluating strategic alternatives,” Allscripts Chief
Executive Glen Tullman said.
The company, which reported a lower third-quarter profit on
Friday, had spoken to several private equity firms including
Blackstone Group LP, Bloomberg reported in September.
The company faced shareholder activism earlier this year,
when its largest investor, HealthCor Management, demanded the
resignation of Allscripts chief executive.
Allscripts agreed to nominate three of the investor’s
candidates to its board in early June.
The company said it is withdrawing its forecast for 2012 in
light of its decision to evaluate strategic alternatives. It had
forecast adjusted earnings of between 74 cents and 80 cents per
share in August.
Allscripts’s net income fell to $9.4 million, or 5 cents per
share, in the third quarter, from $19.1 million, or 10 cents per
share, a year earlier.
Excluding items, earnings were 23 cents per share.
Total revenue fell nearly 1 percent to $360.7 million.
Analysts expected a profit of 22 cents per share on revenue
of $377.01 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Shares of the Chicago-based company closed at $12.26 on
Thursday on the Nasdaq.
