VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Sells 5,280 Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al trimmed its position in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 180,524 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,280 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al owned about 0.08% of HCA Healthcare worth $77,037,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 24.7% during the 3rd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 111 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC raised its stake in HCA Healthcare by 0.7% in the third quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 3,631 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,550,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC grew its position in HCA Healthcare by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 806 shares of the company’s stock worth $378,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc raised its stake in HCA Healthcare by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 994 shares of the company’s stock worth $468,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Advisors Network LLC increased its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 5,469 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,334,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE HCA opened at $472.94 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $437.44 and a 200-day simple moving average of $444.90. The stock has a market cap of $102.39 billion, a PE ratio of 15.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.10. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a twelve month low of $353.99 and a twelve month high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.65 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $19.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.33 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 198.52% and a net margin of 8.61%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $6.96 EPS. Research analysts predict that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.16 EPS for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 15th. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is currently 10.45%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $393.00 to $409.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded HCA Healthcare from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Leerink Partners reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $492.00 price target on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Friday, September 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $490.00 to $425.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets began coverage on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $495.00 target price for the company. Sixteen 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. According to MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $475.70.

Key Headlines Impacting HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its HCA price target from $496 to $521 and reaffirmed an “outperform” rating, implying roughly 10% upside from the referenced trading level. Royal Bank of Canada analyst action
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen increased its price target for HCA Healthcare, adding to the series of favorable analyst revisions following the company’s latest results. TD Cowen price target article
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp also boosted its HCA price target, reinforcing Wall Street’s constructive view of the hospital operator. KeyCorp price target article
• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its target as well, suggesting analysts see further value after HCA’s quarterly earnings beat. Robert W. Baird price target article
• Positive Sentiment: HCA said 102 hospitals received Healthgrades recognition for specialty-care excellence, potentially supporting the company’s reputation, patient demand and competitive positioning. Healthgrades recognition announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: HCA HealthONE agreed to pay $14.5 million for a Wheat Ridge retail center and plans to develop a medical park. The project could expand local capacity, but its financial contribution and execution timeline remain uncertain. Wheat Ridge medical park article
• Neutral Sentiment: A St. David’s HealthCare CEO plans to retire in March, creating a leadership transition within an HCA-affiliated system. St. David’s CEO retirement article
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into potential claims on behalf of HCA investors. The announcement does not establish wrongdoing, but adds legal and headline risk that can pressure the stock. Pomerantz investor investigation announcement

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

HCA Healthcare, Inc is a healthcare services company that operates hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, emergency care facilities, physician practices and other healthcare sites. Its facilities provide a broad range of services, including acute and emergency care, surgery, cardiology, oncology, women’s and children’s services, behavioral health and outpatient care.

The company serves patients primarily across the United States through a network of healthcare facilities in numerous states.