Eschler Asset Management LLP Buys Shares of 2,190 HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Eschler Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 2,190 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $854,000. HCA Healthcare comprises 1.5% of Eschler Asset Management LLP’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. MidFirst Bank purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the first quarter valued at $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of HCA Healthcare stock opened at $429.19 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $397.94 and a 200-day simple moving average of $443.28. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 12-month low of $353.99 and a 12-month high of $556.52. The stock has a market cap of $92.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.37, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.10.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The company reported $7.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.56 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $20.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.76 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.77% and a negative return on equity of 244.79%. HCA Healthcare’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $6.84 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 29.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 16th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.45%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on HCA shares. Barclays reduced their price target on HCA Healthcare from $402.00 to $387.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $425.00 to $380.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 27th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $369.00 to $381.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Leerink Partners lowered their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $573.00 to $500.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on HCA Healthcare from $558.00 to $485.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $462.64.

HCA Healthcare Profile

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.