HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA Shares Purchased by Equitable Trust Co.

Equitable Trust Co. increased its holdings in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 1.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 160,475 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 2,036 shares during the quarter. HCA Healthcare comprises approximately 3.5% of Equitable Trust Co.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Equitable Trust Co.’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $75,943,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in HCA. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the fourth quarter worth $1,262,513,000. Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at about $374,037,000. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 58.5% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 1,872,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $717,214,000 after buying an additional 690,773 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 4,545.5% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 663,337 shares of the company’s stock worth $309,686,000 after acquiring an additional 649,058 shares during the period. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare in the third quarter valued at approximately $115,530,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on HCA shares. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $588.00 to $525.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Argus cut their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $560.00 to $500.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, May 4th. Leerink Partners lowered their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $573.00 to $500.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $442.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $593.00 to $534.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $497.14.

More HCA Healthcare News

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

• Positive Sentiment: HCA’s coverage remained constructive overall, with analysts assigning the stock an average “Moderate Buy” rating, suggesting Wall Street still sees upside potential. HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts
• Positive Sentiment: One commentary piece argued the recent pullback should not be seen as a fundamental breakdown, citing improving revenue, profitability, and ongoing buybacks as reasons the stock may be undervalued. HCA Healthcare’s Fall Shouldn’t Be Construed As Failing Health
• Neutral Sentiment: HCA-affiliated hospitals announced operational updates, including LewisGale Regional Health System opening a simulation center and TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital naming a new COO. These are positive for operations, but likely not major stock catalysts. LewisGale Regional Health System unveils new realistic simulation center TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital selects new Chief Operating Officer
• Neutral Sentiment: HCA’s Mission Health dropped its BSN requirement for nurses in North Carolina, a workforce-policy change that may help staffing flexibility but is unlikely to move the stock by itself. HCA’s Mission Health drops BSN requirement for nurses in North Carolina
• Negative Sentiment: Barclays reaffirmed its “equal weight” rating but cut its price target sharply to $427 from $496, which can weigh on sentiment even though the new target still implies some upside from current levels. Analyst rating update
• Negative Sentiment: A separate analyst-focused report highlighted a downgrade, reinforcing the view that some Wall Street firms are becoming less bullish on HCA after earnings. This HCA Healthcare Analyst Is No Longer Bullish
• Negative Sentiment: Post-earnings coverage questioned whether HCA should be bought, sold, or held, reflecting investor uncertainty after the latest quarterly results and contributing to cautious trading. HCA Healthcare (HCA): Buy, sell, or hold post Q1 earnings?

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

NYSE HCA opened at $408.77 on Friday. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a one year low of $330.00 and a one year high of $556.52. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $398.13 and a 200 day moving average price of $460.77. The company has a market cap of $90.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.12.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $7.15 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $19.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.09 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.89% and a negative return on equity of 295.93%. HCA Healthcare’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $6.45 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 16th. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is currently 10.73%.

HCA Healthcare 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.