HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Sets New 1-Year High – What’s Next?

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $556.31 and last traded at $554.3010, with a volume of 225991 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $537.28.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HCA has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Leerink Partners raised their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $507.00 to $573.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. TD Cowen increased their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $529.00 to $561.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Barclays raised their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $541.00 target price on HCA Healthcare in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $537.73.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 1.8%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $504.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $468.21. The company has a market capitalization of $122.28 billion, a PE ratio of 19.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.65 and a beta of 1.34.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.37 by $0.64. The business had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.97% and a negative return on equity of 409.11%. HCA Healthcare’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $6.22 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 24.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This is a positive change from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is presently 10.15%.

Insider Transactions at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total transaction of $903,528.78. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,721,924.61. This trade represents a 16.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total value of $747,135.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,944,194.27. This represents a 4.76% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 15,214 shares of company stock valued at $7,797,595 in the last ninety days. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HCA. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. grew its stake in HCA Healthcare by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 2,026 shares of the company’s stock worth $946,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. MJP Associates Inc. ADV grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. MJP Associates Inc. ADV now owns 749 shares of the company’s stock valued at $350,000 after buying an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,000 after buying an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC now owns 2,278 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,063,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Centerpoint Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 11.0% in the third quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 222 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the period. Institutional investors 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.