Orion Health Group shares slide as firm misses guidance

Orion Health, which is led by chief executive Ian McCrae, has been reviewing its business since May last year. Picture / Jason Oxenham.

Orion Health Group shares fell after the healthcare software developer missed guidance for annual sales due to delays in finalising some large deals and said it's targeting annual savings of up to $30 million in a "substantial" restructure of global operations.

The Auckland-based company's revenue was between $170m and $173m in the year ended March 31, missing already downgraded guidance of $175m to $190m, it said in a statement.

The late transactions will be carried over into the 2019 financial year. Orion's operating loss narrowed in the second half of the financial year but not enough to reach breakeven, a target it was aiming to get close to.

The company's shares fell 8.6 per cent to 64c.

"The business is committed to right-sizing the cost structure of the company across all regions to drive sustained profitability," said chief financial officer Mark Tisdel said. "We remain committed to building long-term value for our customers and shareholders."

Orion Health has been reviewing its business since May last year as it seeks to return to profitability having foregone short-term earnings in the hunt for global expansion since going public in 2014. That review was initially to source new capital, including minority investments in the company, but was later broadened to bolster the long-term structure of Orion Health.

Restructuring efforts already cut $10m from annual costs, trimming 76 jobs from its 1,200-strong workforce, and the company today announced plans to remove between $25m and $30m of annual expenses in a major shake-up of the global business, shifting resources to where they're most needed.

Orion Health will reorganise its business into three units - Rhapsody, Population Health, and Hospitals - which Tisdel said would narrow the gap between customers and the research and development teams and support services.