Royal Bank Of Canada Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price objective hoisted by investment analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $525.00 to $555.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 15.25% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on HCA. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of HCA Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $425.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, December 15th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Wednesday. Barclays raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $423.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, KeyCorp set a $503.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Wednesday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $512.43.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HCA opened at $481.58 on Wednesday. HCA Healthcare has a 1 year low of $295.00 and a 1 year high of $527.55. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $481.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $436.60. The company has a market cap of $109.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.97, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.36.

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

Insider Activity

In other HCA Healthcare news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the 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 $1,652,105.73. This trade represents a 52.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Chung Wu Investment Group LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 311.8% in the 2nd quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 70 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and stronger capital actions — HCA reported $8.01 EPS (above estimates), raised 2026 guidance and outlined a $10B share buyback, supporting medium‑term earnings power. HCA Healthcare Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Results and Provides 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are upping targets — multiple brokers (Jefferies, RBC, Deutsche Bank, Truist) raised price targets and reiterated buy/outperform views after the quarter, suggesting upside remains for the shares. Analyst price target raises
• Positive Sentiment: Quality recognition: Healthgrades accolades — 44 HCA hospitals made Healthgrades’ lists, including three among America’s 50 Best Hospitals, a boost to reputation and referral strength. HCA Healthcare Hospitals Named on America’s 50 Best Hospitals List for 2026 by Healthgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Outpatient expansion and M&A optionality — HCA is accelerating outpatient growth and sees more acquisition opportunities, which supports margin expansion and revenue diversification. HCA ramps up outpatient growth, sees more acquisition opportunities
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: more urgent care/ER footprint — HCA is opening additional ER capacity in Southwest Florida, signaling continued local market growth. HCA building ER south of Fort Myers but what happened to hospital?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst narrative shifting — coverage pieces note a shifting story post‑reset as investors re‑weigh growth vs. policy risk; this could reprice expectations but isn’t a clear directional catalyst. Why Analysts See The Story Shifting For HCA Healthcare (HCA) After Target Reset
• Negative Sentiment: Policy and reimbursement risk — HCA flagged exposure to federal policy changes and potential reimbursement headwinds that could pressure near‑term margins. HCA Healthcare braces for impacts as federal policy shifts take hold
• Negative Sentiment: ACA exchange impact — management disclosed a $600M–$900M headwind from ACA exchanges for 2026, a meaningful near‑term drag even as guidance remains constructive. HCA Healthcare unveils bullish 2026 guidance despite $600M-$900M ACA exchanges hit
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed estimates — revenue for the quarter was a touch below Street estimates, which may have prompted profit‑taking after recent gains. HCA: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

About HCA Healthcare

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.