Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA – Get Free Report) gapped down before the market opened on Friday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The stock had previously closed at $474.03, but opened at $430.00. HCA Healthcare shares last traded at $437.8850, with a volume of 715,487 shares.
The company reported $7.15 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $19.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.09 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.97% and a negative return on equity of 409.11%. The business’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $6.45 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS.
HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is currently 10.99%.
Trending Headlines about HCA Healthcare
- Positive Sentiment: Quarter showed continued demand for medical services and beat some profit expectations, supporting underlying volume trends. HCA Healthcare beats quarterly profit estimates on medical care services demand
- Neutral Sentiment: Revenue grew 4.3% year‑over‑year to $19.11 billion and slightly exceeded consensus (~$19.09B), indicating healthy top‑line volume growth even as margins were under pressure. HCA Healthcare Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysts were actively updating models and price targets into the print; revisions can amplify moves but also reflect that expectations were already being rebalanced ahead of results. HCA Healthcare Earnings Are Imminent; These Most Accurate Analysts Revise Forecasts Ahead Of Earnings Call
- Negative Sentiment: Reported EPS of $7.15 missed consensus narrowly (Zacks ~$7.17; other consensus ~7.19), a disappointment given elevated expectations and the stock’s prior run-up. HCA Healthcare (HCA) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates
- Negative Sentiment: FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $29.10–$31.50 has a midpoint slightly below street consensus (~$30.30) and revenue guidance range ($76.5B–$80.0B) leaves room for downside versus the consensus midpoint—investors often punish guidance that implies slower margin or volume improvement. HCA Healthcare Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
HCA has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $558.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. TD Cowen raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $529.00 to $561.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $558.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $541.00 target price on HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Friday, March 27th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $537.36.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on HCA
Insider Transactions at HCA Healthcare
In other news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total transaction of $903,528.78. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 8,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,721,924.61. This trade represents a 16.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total value of $747,135.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 30,003 shares in the company, valued at $14,944,194.27. The trade was a 4.76% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 15,214 shares of company stock worth $7,797,595 over the last quarter. 1.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Institutional Trading of HCA Healthcare
Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC bought a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter valued at $1,021,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 11.9% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,334,000 after purchasing an additional 409 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC bought a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,073,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 56.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 136,589 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,328,000 after purchasing an additional 49,214 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.
HCA Healthcare Stock Performance
The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $507.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $485.06. The stock has a market cap of $98.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.36.
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.
See Also
Receive News & Ratings for HCA Healthcare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HCA Healthcare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
