Moody's Investors Service affirmed the "Aa3" rating on St. Louis-based Mercy Health's $872 million of outstanding fixed-rate and auction-rate revenue bonds.
The ratings affirmation is based on a number of factors, including the health system's growing size, scope of operations and improved financial performance and balance sheet measures in the last three years.
The outlook is stable, reflecting Moody's Investors Service's expectation Mercy Health's operating margins will continue to improve as the organization grows. Moody's analysts also expect the health system will gain efficiencies through the merging of one of its hospitals, Mercy Hospital St. Louis, and St. Louis-based Saint Anthony's Medical Center.