Michael Cuffe Sells 1,500 Shares of HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) EVP Michael Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total value of $747,135.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 30,003 shares in the company, valued at $14,944,194.27. This represents a 4.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 4.1%

HCA Healthcare stock traded up $20.20 during trading on Thursday, reaching $513.84. The stock had a trading volume of 1,462,056 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,137,185. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 52-week low of $295.00 and a 52-week high of $527.55. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $480.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $440.62. The stock has a market cap of $117.26 billion, a PE ratio of 18.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.36.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.37 by $0.64. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.97% and a negative return on equity of 409.11%. The firm had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $6.22 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 24.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This is an increase from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is currently 10.99%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HCA. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 311.8% during the 2nd quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 70 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 82.9% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 75 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group lifted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $598.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $535.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $588.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $546.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Mizuho set a $540.00 price objective on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday. Fifteen 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $519.71.

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.