July 17 (Reuters) - Healthcare provider Ardent Health ( ARDT )

said on Wednesday it has set the pricing of its initial public

offering below its targeted range to raise around $192 million.

The Nashville, Tennessee-based company which was aiming to

price its offering between $20 and $22 apiece, sold about 12

million shares at $16 per share. The IPO values Ardent Health ( ARDT ) at

about $2.3 billion.

The company said it intends to use the IPO proceeds for

working capital, to acquire complementary businesses, products,

services or technologies, and for general corporate purposes

which may include repayment of debt and capital expenditures.

Ardent is the fourth-largest privately held, for-profit

operator of hospitals and a healthcare services provider in the

U.S., according to the filing.

It has 30 acute care hospitals and more than 200 sites of

care with over 1,700 providers across Texas, Oklahoma, New

Mexico, New Jersey, Idaho and Kansas.

Public markets in the U.S. have seen an influx of IPOs in

the last few months, after a dry spell of nearly two years, as

expectations of a soft landing for the economy encourage

companies to list their shares.

The firm is expected to debut on the New York Stock Exchange

on Thursday under the symbol "ARDT".

J.P.Morgan, BofA Securities and Morgan Stanley are the lead

underwriters for the IPO.