Healthscope’s rival bid hits $4.35b

AUSTRALIA’S second-largest private hospitals operator Healthscope has received a $4.35 billion takeover offer from a Canadian based firm.

Brookfield Asset Management’s indicative proposal worth $2.50 a share trumps the $2.36 a share offer made by BGH Capital and its superannuation fund backers in April.

The scheme of arrangement proposed by Brookfield represents a 23 per cent premium to the share price.

Healthscope says there is no certainty either proposal will result in a transaction and has advised shareholders that they don’t need to take any action just yet.

Shares in Healthscope were up 10 cents, or 4.1 per cent, at $2.57 yesterday.