HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Given New $555.00 Price Target at Royal Bank Of Canada

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price objective upped by Royal Bank Of Canada from $525.00 to $555.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Leerink Partners increased their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $470.00 to $507.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $558.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley cut HCA Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $425.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Fifteen 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $512.43.

HCA Healthcare Stock Down 2.9%

Shares of HCA Healthcare stock opened at $491.40 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $112.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.36. The company’s 50 day moving average is $481.03 and its 200 day moving average is $436.28. HCA Healthcare has a twelve month low of $295.00 and a twelve month high of $527.55.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.37 by $0.64. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.The firm had revenue of $19.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $6.22 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 EPS 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 given a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This is an increase from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.13%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,487 shares of the company’s stock, 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

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

Key Headlines Impacting HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and strong underlying metrics — HCA reported EPS of $8.01 (well above estimates) driven by higher patient volumes and revenue per equivalent admission, a key near-term earnings catalyst. Earnings Release
• Positive Sentiment: Big buyback and dividend increase support shareholder returns — Management added $10 billion to buybacks and raised the quarterly dividend ~8.3%, actions that tighten free float and boost EPS accretion expectations. Dividend/Buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lift price targets and ratings — Several firms bumped targets (Jefferies to $590, Deutsche to $558, RBC to $555, Truist to $546) and reiterated buy/outperform views, providing additional upside signals for investors. Analyst Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 guidance is constructive but somewhat mixed — Management set FY2026 EPS of $29.10–31.50 (near consensus midpoint) and revenue $76.5B–$80.0B (vs. ~$79.2B consensus), leaving room for upside or downside depending on volumes and cost savings execution. Guidance Release
• Negative Sentiment: Policy headwinds could subtract materially from results — Management warned of a roughly $600M–$1B hit tied to ACA exchange and Medicaid changes (loss of certain tax credits), a tangible downside risk to 2026 cash flow. Policy Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin-risk commentary from some analysts — With a robust share rally over the past year, at least one note flagged that margin gains may be peaking and valuation is full, which could cap upside absent further operational beats. Analyst Caution

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.