Ahead Of The Bell: Life Time Fitness

NEW YORK (AP) — A profitable club base and improving membership mix could bode well for Life Time Fitness Inc.'s fourth quarter, an analyst said Wednesday.

Sharon Zackfia of William Blair & Co. said in a client note that the Chanhassen, Minn.-based fitness club operator has started to move away from single members and back toward its family and couple memberships. With memberships heading back toward couples and families, Zackfia said Life Time should see improvement in dues per member, which would help its fourth-quarter same-store sales and margins.

The company's clubs continue to do well, she added, with all clubs more than three months old generating a profit.

She maintained an "Outperform" rating.