Chicago-based Ventas, a real estate investment trust, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health Services, which is owned by private equity funds managed by Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe.
Under the deal, Ventas will own 10 hospital properties, which have a combined 2,045 beds. Ventas intends to separate their hospital operations into entities that will be owned by current Ardent management, along with other equity sources, which will hold long-term leases with Ventas.
The transaction is expected to close mid-year 2015.
In a conference call Monday, Ventas Chairman and CEO Debra A. Cafaro said, "We've been waiting a long time to find the right entry point into the U.S. hospital market because of its strong improving trends, and we've been very selective. Ardent is the deal we've been waiting for," according to a Bloomberg report.
After the acquisition announcement was made Monday morning, shares of Ventas jumped 5.3 percent to $77.13 per share, according to Bloomberg.
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