Cerner (CERN, Financial) is a leading health care information technology company. We have long admired Cerner as it is a well-financed compounder, having compounded book value at an average rate of 16% over the past 10 years. Delays in customer adoption of healthcare Information Technology (IT) systems as regulatory mandates have lengthened, exacerbated by concerns about potential changes to the ACA and the impact on healthcare IT spend, have negatively pressured Cerner's common stock price down from over $67 to our initial purchase cost of approximately $48, giving us an opportunity to acquire shares of Cerner common stock at an attractive valuation.
Healthcare IT has been in the sweet spot of spending for hospitals as regulatory reform and increasingly complex regulatory requirements have driven a greater need for IT solutions. The ACA and Health Information Technology Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) were established to transition the U.S. healthcare system from fee-for-service towards value-based outcomes, i.e., incentivizing hospitals and providers for increasing quality of care and patient outcomes rather than the volume of procedures performed. As part of this initiative, electronic health records systems were required and analytics and data collection to monitor outcomes is increasing. Cerner is one of the market leaders in these systems. Similar to other IT companies, services and software for the installed base of systems generates high-margin recurring revenue. Further, many legacy systems are in need of upgrades to enable them to meet the new regulatory requirements. Given its market leading position, Cerner has been gaining share and is well-positioned to continue to take share. In addition, there has been consolidation within the industry, including some vendors discontinuing products.
While uncertainty remains regarding the ultimate resolution of the ACA, we believe the benefit of increased efficiencies that enhanced IT systems provide, along with increasing use cases, e.g., population health, will continue to bode well for Cerner's business, enabling the company to grow and compound value over the longer-term.
From Third Avenue Management (Trades, Portfolio)'s fourth calendar quarter 2016 shareholder letter.
