Results Round-up

LONDON (ShareCast) - Waste management (NYSE: WM - news) group Augean (LSE: AUG.L - news) saw its shares jump on Tuesday after reporting strong full-year results across its five businesses. Revenues rose 26% to £55m while profits before tax increased 22% to £5.4m, driving earnings per share so rise from 3.29p to 4.13p.

Despite strong performance across all its businesses, its North Sea services had a "extremely poor" start to 2014 because of adverse weather conditions. However, it managed to finish the year with revenues up 57% to £14.5m.

During the period, Augean grew its portfolio of blue-chip customers, with 80% of its top 20 customers now services through formalised agreements.

Hospital group Spire Healthcare (LSE: SPI.L - news) saw its shares go down on Tuesday despite posting full-year results in line with expectations.

Revenue rose 12% to £856m, which was better than its previous forecasts. The group said in January that it expected revenues to be between £850 and £855m. The increase was helped by NHS revenues up 27.3% to £245.9m during 2014.

Despite loss before tax declining by 86.5% to £7m, profit for the year fell 94% to £6m, driving earnings per share to decline from 40.9p to 1.9p.

The group's profits were hurt by a reduction of 3% in NHS tariff applicable to the 2013/2014 fiscal year and a further 2.25% NHS tariff reduction applicable from 1 April 2014 for the 2014/15 period.

Furthermore, cash and equivalents also dropped to £74.5m from £111.5 the year before.

During the period, Spire (Stuttgart: SIZ.SG - news) received planning consent to open new hospitals in Manchester and Nottingham and a radiotherapy centre in Chelmsford, Essex.

The group opened its first radiotherapy centre in Bristol in 2014 and acquired St. Anthony's Hospital in Cheam.

As a result, costs associated to investments grew 95% to £105.1m.