HCA Healthcare Q2 EPS Estimate Boosted by Zacks Research

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) – Zacks Research increased their Q2 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of HCA Healthcare in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, March 4th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will earn $7.21 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $7.18. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for HCA Healthcare’s current full-year earnings is $24.98 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for HCA Healthcare’s Q3 2026 earnings at $7.11 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $8.20 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $29.63 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $37.40 EPS.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.37 by $0.64. The company had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.HCA Healthcare’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.22 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on HCA. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $540.00 to $585.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of HCA Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $425.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $555.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on HCA Healthcare from $420.00 to $535.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $534.50.

HCA Healthcare Trading Down 0.2%

HCA Healthcare stock opened at $533.63 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $119.33 billion, a PE ratio of 18.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.34. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $500.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $464.97. HCA Healthcare has a 52 week low of $310.18 and a 52 week high of $552.90.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.15%.

Insider Transactions at HCA Healthcare

In other HCA Healthcare news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total transaction of $903,528.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,721,924.61. The trade was a 16.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were 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 in the company, valued at approximately $14,944,194.27. This represents a 4.76% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,214 shares of company stock valued at $7,797,595. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Clearstead Trust LLC grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 311.8% during the 2nd 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 lifted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 213.0% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 72 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment and research upgrades: several outlets and analysts continue to rate HCA favorably — one consensus snapshot called the stock a “Moderate Buy,” reflecting continued analyst confidence that HCA can grow earnings and return capital to shareholders. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term demographic bull case: MarketBeat argues HCA is a likely beneficiary of U.S. aging demographics, noting management’s strong guidance (FY2026 EPS and EBITDA ranges), expanded capex, a $10B repurchase authorization and a raised dividend — all supportive of long‑term growth and shareholder returns. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate tweaks from Zacks: Zacks Research nudged near‑term EPS estimates slightly higher for Q2, Q3 and Q4 2026 and raised FY2026 to $29.63, which supports the earnings outlook, but it kept a “Hold” rating — a modest positive but not a strong endorsement. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ view is mixed farther out: while FY2026 estimates were lifted, Zacks trimmed its FY2028 EPS forecast modestly — a sign analysts see near‑term strength but some uncertainty on longer‑term margin expansion. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Local/industry headlines are mixed and mostly non‑company specific: a local hospital (Manchester’s Catholic Medical Center) plans to end outpatient mental‑health services and a leadership hire at Methodist Healthcare were reported — signals about regional capacity and staffing but with limited direct impact on HCA’s large national footprint. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term policy and revenue risks remain prominent: recent company commentary and market writeups note revenue growth was slightly below expectations in the prior quarter and management flagged $600–$900M of potential EBITDA headwinds from insurance‑exchange changes plus state supplemental payment declines — factors that could cap near‑term upside despite strong EPS. Article Title

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.