Aberdeen Group plc Has $58.64 Million Stock Position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Aberdeen Group plc lessened its position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 13.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 139,303 shares of the company’s stock after selling 21,576 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned approximately 0.06% of HCA Healthcare worth $58,635,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Sovran Advisors LLC lifted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC now owns 2,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,063,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 11.0% in the third quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 222 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management grew its position in HCA Healthcare by 11.0% during the third quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 253 shares of the company’s stock valued at $107,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Abound Wealth Management boosted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 28.0% during the 3rd quarter. Abound Wealth Management now owns 119 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the period. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 17.1% in the third quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 185 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: HCA’s share performance is strong on a year‑over‑year basis (shares up ~75% YoY), reinforcing momentum and investor confidence in the company’s results and outlook. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other analysts highlight earnings growth and price strength; Zacks added HCA to focus coverage and raised FY‑2026 EPS estimates, supporting forward earnings momentum and valuation. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: HCA raised its quarterly dividend (new quarterly payout announced), which narrows yield risk and is a modest positive for income‑oriented investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional flows and stake increases (e.g., Norges Bank, Pacer, Viking Global) point to strong institutional demand and provide technical/supportive buying pressure for the stock. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: HCA completed a 43‑hospital EHR rollout and is tracking success metrics — operational execution that can improve efficiency and integration over time but has a gradual, not immediate, earnings impact. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Local expansion moves — HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball acquired Supreme Care ER and StoneSprings plans a freestanding ER conversion — small, market‑level capacity adds that could modestly lift volumes in those geographies. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: HCA sold ASC real estate — a financing/portfolio move that could free capital or change lease terms; impact depends on transaction use of proceeds. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: two senior VPs disclosed multi‑million dollar sales (Christopher Wyatt sold ~$2.0M; Jennifer Berres sold ~$4.13M). Significant insider sales can create short‑term selling pressure or raise governance/portfolio‑rebalancing questions. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks/other outlets flagged a downward revision to HCA’s Q1 EPS forecast, which can pressure near‑term expectations even as FY estimates were raised. Read More.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of NYSE:HCA opened at $539.91 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $482.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $449.62. The company has a market cap of $120.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.02, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a twelve month low of $295.00 and a twelve month high of $552.90.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.37 by $0.64. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.The company had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.22 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare’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. Analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 24.98 EPS for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.78 per share. This is a positive change from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Christopher F. Wyatt sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.00, for a total value of $2,020,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 44,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,411,395. This represents a 8.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total value of $747,135.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,944,194.27. This represents a 4.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 13,520 shares of company stock worth $6,894,067. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on HCA. Jefferies Financial Group upped their target price on HCA Healthcare from $535.00 to $590.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of HCA Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $425.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $588.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $423.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, December 29th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $523.27.

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.