Assura said its portfolio now stands at 625 properties, with an annualised rent roll of £179.1m, up from £150.6m at the end of the prior trading year.

The FTSE 250-listed group also said its quarterly dividend had been increased by 2.4% to 0.84p per share, as announced at the time of its full-year results, with effect from July 2024.

Net debt, on the other hand, grew from £1.21bn to £1.57bn.

As of 0910 BST, Assura shares were down 1.04% at 41.74p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com