Mizuho Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its target price increased by stock analysts at Mizuho from $540.00 to $585.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Mizuho’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 11.31% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on HCA. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $558.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of HCA Healthcare from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 27th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $598.00 to $635.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Leerink Partners lifted their target price on HCA Healthcare from $507.00 to $573.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Argus raised their price target on HCA Healthcare from $530.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. 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. According to data from MarketBeat, HCA Healthcare has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $534.50.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

HCA stock opened at $525.56 on Wednesday. HCA Healthcare has a fifty-two week low of $295.00 and a fifty-two week high of $552.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.52, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.36. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $492.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $458.92.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.37 by $0.64. The company had revenue of $19.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.97% and a negative return on equity of 409.11%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $6.22 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, 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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 30,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,944,194.27. This represents a 4.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total value of $903,528.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,853 shares in the company, valued at $4,721,924.61. This represents a 16.06% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 15,214 shares of company stock valued at $7,797,595. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 311.8% in the second quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 70 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 213.0% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 72 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

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.