Equitable Trust Co. Sells 9,154 Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Equitable Trust Co. lowered its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 5.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 159,884 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,154 shares during the quarter. HCA Healthcare accounts for about 3.1% of Equitable Trust Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Equitable Trust Co. owned about 0.07% of HCA Healthcare worth $68,143,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of HCA. Clearstead Trust LLC increased its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 311.8% during the second quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 70 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 82.9% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 75 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the second quarter worth about $40,000. Compound Global Advisors LLC bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 179.5% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 109 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: HCA is expanding emergency access through local partnerships and new freestanding ERs, which can increase lower‑acuity, higher‑margin volumes and outpatient revenue. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: HCA opened a new ER site (Shoppes at Mission Trace) — incremental access points support ambulatory/ER growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and momentum coverage is favorable: Zacks highlights HCA as a momentum name and JPMorgan raised its price target to $535 (neutral rating but higher target), both of which can attract investor flows. Read More. — Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Local human‑interest/community health stories (neonatal success, suicide‑prevention grant) are positive for brand but unlikely to move the stock materially. Read More. — Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership moves (new chief nurse in Houston; four new leaders in Alaska) are operational/clinic-level changes that support execution but are not major catalysts on their own. Read More. — Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: A nurse sued HCA Florida Palms West Hospital and a security company after a violent patient attack — litigation and safety concerns can raise reputational risk and potential costs. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Critical opinion pieces highlight continued safety concerns at Mission Hospital; sustained negative media about safety can pressure sentiment and invite regulatory/survey scrutiny. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling disclosed: EVP Michael McAlevey sold ~1,694 shares (~$903K). While single insider sales often reflect personal liquidity, markets sometimes view such moves as a minor negative signal. Read More.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of HCA Healthcare from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Zacks Research lowered HCA Healthcare from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 27th. Stephens boosted their price target on HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Leerink Partners raised their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $507.00 to $573.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $558.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $530.77.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

NYSE:HCA opened at $532.98 on Monday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $488.01 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $455.72. The company has a market cap of $119.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.78, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a one year low of $295.00 and a one year high of $552.90.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analyst estimates of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.22 EPS. HCA Healthcare’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 24.98 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In related news, SVP Christopher F. Wyatt sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.00, for a total transaction of $2,020,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 44,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,411,395. This trade represents a 8.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total transaction of $747,135.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,944,194.27. The trade was a 4.76% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 15,214 shares of company stock valued at $7,797,595. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.