Q3 EPS Estimates for HCA Healthcare Lifted by Zacks Research

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q3 2027 EPS estimates for HCA Healthcare in a note issued to investors on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings of $7.42 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $7.36. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for HCA Healthcare’s current full-year earnings is $24.98 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for HCA Healthcare’s FY2027 earnings at $32.27 EPS.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 24th. The company reported $6.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.64 by $1.32. The company had revenue of $19.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.55 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.53% and a negative return on equity of 792.25%. HCA Healthcare’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.90 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2025 guidance at 27.000-28.000 EPS.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of HCA Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $425.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, December 15th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $495.00 to $525.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $485.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $470.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $400.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $485.95.

HCA Healthcare Trading Up 0.9%

HCA stock opened at $478.75 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $109.25 billion, a PE ratio of 18.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare has a 12-month low of $295.00 and a 12-month high of $520.00. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $480.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $429.14.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th were issued a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is currently 11.13%.

Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare

In other news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $473.79, for a total transaction of $1,843,990.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,652,105.73. This trade represents a 52.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Park Place Capital Corp grew its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 2,336.0% during the second quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 1,218 shares of the company’s stock valued at $474,000 after purchasing an additional 1,168 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in HCA Healthcare by 13.1% during the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 43,920 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,719,000 after buying an additional 5,092 shares during the last quarter. Swiss National Bank lifted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 4.3% in the second quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 558,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $214,115,000 after buying an additional 23,100 shares during the last quarter. Cherokee Insurance Co bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the second quarter worth about $3,869,000. Finally, Harrell Investment Partners LLC lifted its position in HCA Healthcare by 176.3% in the 2nd quarter. Harrell Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,815 shares of the company’s stock valued at $695,000 after purchasing an additional 1,158 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

About HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare is a for‑profit operator of healthcare facilities headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1968, the company owns and operates a network of hospitals and related healthcare facilities and has grown through organic expansion and acquisitions to become a large provider of inpatient and outpatient services.

The company’s core activities include the operation of acute care hospitals, freestanding surgical and emergency centers, and outpatient clinics. HCA’s services encompass inpatient care, surgical services, emergency medicine, diagnostic imaging and laboratory testing, and various outpatient and ambulatory care offerings.