HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA Position Boosted by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 623.2% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 27,931 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 24,069 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $11,904,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Clearstead Trust LLC increased its stake in HCA Healthcare by 311.8% during the 2nd quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 70 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 82.9% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 75 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the second quarter worth approximately $40,000. Compound Global Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 179.5% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 109 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

HCA Healthcare stock opened at $533.63 on Monday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $500.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $465.79. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 52 week low of $310.18 and a 52 week high of $552.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $119.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.34.

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

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. 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%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is 10.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on HCA. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research 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 report on Wednesday, January 28th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of HCA Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $425.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $555.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on HCA Healthcare from $452.00 to $481.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $534.50.

Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare

In related news, SVP Jennifer Berres sold 8,020 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $514.58, for a total transaction of $4,126,931.60. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 11,993 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,171,357.94. This trade represents a 40.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total value of $903,528.78. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,721,924.61. This trade represents a 16.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 15,214 shares of company stock worth $7,797,595 in the last quarter. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

More HCA Healthcare News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment and research upgrades: several outlets and analysts continue to rate HCA favorably — one consensus snapshot called the stock a “Moderate Buy,” reflecting continued analyst confidence that HCA can grow earnings and return capital to shareholders. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term demographic bull case: MarketBeat argues HCA is a likely beneficiary of U.S. aging demographics, noting management’s strong guidance (FY2026 EPS and EBITDA ranges), expanded capex, a $10B repurchase authorization and a raised dividend — all supportive of long‑term growth and shareholder returns. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate tweaks from Zacks: Zacks Research nudged near‑term EPS estimates slightly higher for Q2, Q3 and Q4 2026 and raised FY2026 to $29.63, which supports the earnings outlook, but it kept a “Hold” rating — a modest positive but not a strong endorsement. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ view is mixed farther out: while FY2026 estimates were lifted, Zacks trimmed its FY2028 EPS forecast modestly — a sign analysts see near‑term strength but some uncertainty on longer‑term margin expansion. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Local/industry headlines are mixed and mostly non‑company specific: a local hospital (Manchester’s Catholic Medical Center) plans to end outpatient mental‑health services and a leadership hire at Methodist Healthcare were reported — signals about regional capacity and staffing but with limited direct impact on HCA’s large national footprint. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term policy and revenue risks remain prominent: recent company commentary and market writeups note revenue growth was slightly below expectations in the prior quarter and management flagged $600–$900M of potential EBITDA headwinds from insurance‑exchange changes plus state supplemental payment declines — factors that could cap near‑term upside despite strong EPS. Article Title

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.