Robert W. Baird Issues Pessimistic Forecast for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock Price

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price target dropped by equities researchers at Robert W. Baird from $450.00 to $442.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird’s price target points to a potential downside of 8.42% from the stock’s current price.

HCA has been the topic of several other research reports. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Argus increased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $530.00 to $560.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $529.00 to $561.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $598.00 to $635.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $546.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $537.36.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

NYSE HCA opened at $482.65 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $107.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare has a one year low of $314.43 and a one year high of $556.52. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $511.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $483.30.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $7.37 by $0.64. The company had revenue of $19.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $6.22 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at HCA Healthcare

In other news, SVP Jennifer Berres sold 8,020 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $514.58, for a total transaction of $4,126,931.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 11,993 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,171,357.94. This trade represents a 40.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Christopher F. Wyatt sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 44,379 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,411,395. This represents a 8.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 15,214 shares of company stock worth $7,797,595. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. MCF Advisors LLC boosted its position in HCA Healthcare by 213.0% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 72 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

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.