Good points there finch2,I had a breeze through the investor...

Good points there finch2,

I had a breeze through the investor section of their website

alere is losing money, however the trend over the past 3 years from 2012 has been positive -- they are losing less each subsequent year.

the loss is reported on a consolidated basis, comprising of many, many subsidiaries -- hence bbi's contribution is unclear, if they are operating at a loss.

i also feel there has been a recognition in the company that they need to get their act together, shareholders were unhappy and threatening to replace the board (this is as recent as august 2013).

the debt profile seems ok, 2bn is due in a few years time but they will most likely refinance.

i do agree with you and get the sense the firm overall has an urgency to deliver cost efficiencies while continuing to innovate