Apria Healthcare Says Tax Benefit Boosts Earnings

Apria Healthcare Group Inc., a Costa Mesa managed care company, said Thursday that it will record a fourth-quarter tax benefit of about $131 million, which will boost its earnings by $2.44 a share.

Apria said in a press release that the tax benefit represents the effect of about $350 million of previous losses used to limit future tax liabilities, along with other deductible items the company expects to use in the future.

A First Call Thomson Financial survey of five analysts produced a mean earnings estimates for Apria of 38 cents a share for the fourth quarter and $1.35 a share for the year.

The company, with about $900 million in annual revenue, will report fourth-quarter and year-end results in the second half of February.