Brookdale Senior Living Inc. shares lost more than a third of their value Thursday, plunging for a second-straight day in the wake of weak third-quarter results.

Stock in the nation’s largest provider of senior-care facilities fell $3.43, or 36.5 percent, to close at $5.96, after sinking as low as $5.89, the lowest level in Brookdale’s three years as a publicly traded company.

On Wednesday, the stock lost 15.5 percent, to finish at $9.39.Analysts raised questions about the company’s balance sheet and cost pressures and suggested its difficulties are likely to continue into 2009.

source: associated press