HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Cut to Hold at Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $380.00 to $423.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Truist Financial increased their target price on HCA Healthcare from $460.00 to $495.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Barclays upped their price target on HCA Healthcare from $445.00 to $494.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $449.00 to $482.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $474.53.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

HCA opened at $512.94 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $452.07 and a 200-day moving average of $406.38. HCA Healthcare has a 52-week low of $289.98 and a 52-week high of $520.00. The company has a market cap of $117.05 billion, a PE ratio of 19.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.41.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its earnings results on Friday, October 24th. The company reported $6.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.64 by $1.32. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 792.25% and a net margin of 8.53%.The firm had revenue of $19.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.55 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.90 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2025 guidance at 27.000-28.000 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be issued a $0.72 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is presently 11.13%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other HCA Healthcare news, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 3,836 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $418.84, for a total value of $1,606,670.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 31,503 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,194,716.52. The trade was a 10.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $473.79, for a total transaction of $1,843,990.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,652,105.73. This represents a 52.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cheviot Value Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the third quarter worth $26,000. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new position in HCA Healthcare during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

HCA Healthcare, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates hospitals and related healthcare entities in the United States. It operates general and acute care hospitals that offers medical and surgical services, including inpatient care, intensive care, cardiac care, diagnostic, and emergency services; and outpatient services, such as outpatient surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, cardiology, and physical therapy.