Jefferies Financial Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price target upped by analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $525.00 to $535.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price target would indicate a potential upside of 14.39% from the company’s current price.

HCA has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Truist Financial upped their target price on HCA Healthcare from $495.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $430.00 to $470.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $400.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $423.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $488.75.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 0.5%

HCA Healthcare stock opened at $467.72 on Thursday. HCA Healthcare has a 52 week low of $295.00 and a 52 week high of $520.00. The company has a market capitalization of $106.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.36. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $480.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $432.66.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 24th. The company reported $6.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.64 by $1.32. The business had revenue of $19.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.55 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.53% and a negative return on equity of 792.25%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $4.90 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2025 guidance at 27.000-28.000 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 3,487 shares in the company, 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Chung Wu Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 311.8% in the second quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 70 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare Company 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.