NZ's F&P Healthcare full year profit down 30 pct

WELLINGTON May 21 (Reuters) - New Zealand medical equipment manufacturer Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Ltd. FPH.NZ on Wednesday posted a 30 percent fall in annual net profit as a high currency eroded growth in sales.

F&P Healthcare, which makes products to treat breathing disorders and patient warmers, announced a net profit after tax of NZ$35.3 million ($27.4 million) for the year ended March 31, compared with NZ$50.5 million a year earlier.

A survey of nine analysts by Reuters estimates had forecast a net profit of NZ$34.8 million.

April the company cut its forecast for full year operating profit by 16 percent to NZ$58 million because of the stronger currency.

The top-10 stock closed on Tuesday at NZ$2.76, having traded between NZ$2.50 and NZ$3.70 over the past 12 months.

It declared an unchanged final dividend of seven cents per share.

The company, created from the split of New Zealand manufacturing icon Fisher & Paykel Industries in 2001, is based in New Zealand but derives 65 percent of revenue from the U.S., where it competes with Respironics Inc RESP.O and ResMed Inc (RMD.N) (RMD.AX). ($1=NZ$1.29)