PCM Encore LLC Invests $492,000 in HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

PCM Encore LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor purchased 1,263 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $492,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,069,974,000. State Street Corp grew its stake in HCA Healthcare by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,566,643 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,532,563,000 after acquiring an additional 76,039 shares during the period. Capital World Investors raised its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,999,422 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,334,040,000 after purchasing an additional 40,086 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,663,705 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,702,738,000 after purchasing an additional 13,565 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,262,513,000. 62.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

NYSE:HCA opened at $406.33 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $396.32 and its 200 day simple moving average is $444.25. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 52-week low of $353.99 and a 52-week high of $556.52. The company has a market cap of $87.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.10.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The company reported $7.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.56 by $0.03. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 244.79% and a net margin of 8.77%.The firm had revenue of $20.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.76 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $6.84 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 29.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 16th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is 10.45%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on HCA. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $435.00 price target on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, July 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $558.00 to $485.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Barclays dropped their price target on HCA Healthcare from $402.00 to $387.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $450.00 price objective on HCA Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $476.00 target price on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $462.64.

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.