HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA Stock Sold by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 39.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 32,670 shares of the company’s stock after selling 21,093 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $13,942,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MidFirst Bank purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Latitude Advisors LLC bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the third quarter worth $32,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the second quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at $40,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael J. Schlosser sold 1,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $494.65, for a total transaction of $593,580.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 1,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $713,779.95. This trade represents a 45.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Jon M. Foster sold 21,713 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $494.95, for a total value of $10,746,849.35. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 10,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,949,500. The trade was a 68.47% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 36,413 shares of company stock worth $18,251,464 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Mizuho set a $495.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $495.00 target price on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $381.00 to $468.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $387.00 to $401.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $480.13.

Recent HCA Healthcare Headlines

Investors following HCA have been watching these headlines:

• Neutral Sentiment: A Yahoo Finance article examines what drove HCA shares higher, but the supplied information does not specify the catalyst. Article: What Really Drove HCA Stock Higher?
• Neutral Sentiment: HCA Global’s reported long-term office-space lease in Hyderabad appears to concern an India-based business operation; its connection to publicly traded HCA Healthcare is unclear. Article: HCA Global Hyderabad Office Lease
• Negative Sentiment: A report flags a potentially flat 2027 outlook and payer pressure, which could constrain expectations for future growth. Article: HCA Healthcare Stock Faces Flat 2027 Outlook

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 0.3%

HCA stock opened at $505.82 on Thursday. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a twelve month low of $353.99 and a twelve month high of $556.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $105.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.11. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $449.06 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $445.81.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.65 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $19.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.33 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.61% and a negative return on equity of 198.52%. The business’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $6.96 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.15 EPS for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be paid a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 15th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.34%.

HCA Healthcare Profile

HCA Healthcare is a healthcare services company that operates hospitals and other care facilities. Its services include inpatient and outpatient care, emergency treatment, surgery, diagnostic services and specialized care across areas such as cancer and cardiovascular medicine. The company serves patients in the United States and the United Kingdom through its network of hospitals and outpatient facilities, including surgery centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices. Founded in 1968, HCA Healthcare is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.