TD Cowen Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price target upped by equities researchers at TD Cowen from $460.00 to $486.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. TD Cowen‘s price target points to a potential upside of 4.77% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on HCA. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $476.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Monday, July 27th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $495.00 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of HCA Healthcare from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $450.00 price target on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $474.00.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 3.1%

Shares of NYSE:HCA traded up $13.89 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $463.85. 1,038,433 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,341,062. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $433.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $444.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $100.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.10. HCA Healthcare has a 12 month low of $353.99 and a 12 month high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.65 by $0.57. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 244.79% and a net margin of 8.77%. The business had revenue of $19.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $6.96 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare will post 29.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,069,974,000. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 20.5% during the 2nd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,707,473 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,835,397,000 after acquiring an additional 799,761 shares during the last quarter. Darsana Capital Partners LP grew its position in HCA Healthcare by 46.7% in the second quarter. Darsana Capital Partners LP now owns 1,100,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $428,879,000 after acquiring an additional 350,000 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc bought a new position in HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at $410,992,000. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the second quarter valued at about $371,138,000. 62.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key HCA Healthcare News

Here are the key news stories impacting HCA Healthcare this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HCA reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $7.22 per share and revenue of $19.85 billion, exceeding consensus estimates of $6.65 and $19.33 billion, respectively. Revenue increased 3.6% year over year, supported by higher admissions and emergency-room visits. HCA Healthcare beats quarterly profit estimates on demand for medical services
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised its price target on HCA from $435 to $490 and maintained an “overweight” rating, citing additional potential upside following the quarterly results. KeyCorp HCA price target
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.78 per share, or $3.12 annualized, providing continued shareholder returns.
• Neutral Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its price target from $393 to $409 but kept a “neutral” rating, indicating that the firm sees limited valuation support at current levels. Robert W. Baird HCA price target
• Negative Sentiment: Management signaled broadly flat 2027 earnings as Medicaid reimbursement declines, raising concerns about the company’s near-term growth outlook. HCA signals flat 2027 earnings as Medicaid payments drop
• Negative Sentiment: A rise in uninsured patients is expected to create an approximately $400 million coverage-related headwind. Investors are also watching weaker payer mix, rising costs and a 5.4% decline in ambulatory surgery-center volume, which offset the earnings beat. HCA Stock Drops as Pressure From Uninsured Patients Mounts
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into potential claims on behalf of HCA investors, adding a legal headline risk, although no allegations or findings were established in the announcement. Pomerantz HCA investor alert

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

HCA Healthcare, Inc is a healthcare services company that operates hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, emergency care facilities, physician practices and other healthcare sites. Its facilities provide a broad range of services, including acute and emergency care, surgery, cardiology, oncology, women’s and children’s services, behavioral health and outpatient care.

The company serves patients primarily across the United States through a network of healthcare facilities in numerous states.