HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Shares Gap Down Following Weak Earnings

Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) gapped down before the market opened on Friday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $474.03, but opened at $430.00. HCA Healthcare shares last traded at $437.8850, with a volume of 715,487 shares changing hands.

The company reported $7.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($0.04). HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.The company had revenue of $19.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $6.45 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is presently 10.99%.

Trending Headlines about HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and demand beat/strength: Q1 revenue rose ~4.3% to $19.11B and the company cited strong medical care demand; some outlets note the company beat profit estimates on service demand. HCA Healthcare beats quarterly profit estimates on medical care demand
• Positive Sentiment: Margins still meaningful: HCA reported a ~12% operating margin in Q1, showing underlying profitability despite a dynamic operating environment. HCA posts 12% operating margin in Q1: 8 things to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Official results and call: HCA reported EPS of $7.15 and released its earnings call transcript and press release (revenue in line with consensus). These documents give full context on volumes, mix and expense items for analysts. HCA Healthcare Reports First Quarter 2026 Results Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Volume weakness weighed heavily: Surgical volumes softened and total volumes missed seasonal expectations, which traders flagged as the main reason for the share decline despite a near-term beat on profits. HCA Healthcare stock plunges nearly 8% on weak volume trends despite Q1 beat
• Negative Sentiment: EPS/guidance miss vs. street: Reported EPS was roughly flat to estimates (small miss on some models) and FY26 guidance of $29.10–$31.50 EPS (and revenue range) sits slightly below consensus, prompting downward revisions. HCA Trading/Guidance Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Policy and longer-term growth concerns: Analysts warn policy headwinds (Medicaid/ACA subsidy rollbacks) may limit admissions growth to low single digits over coming years — a reason at least one shop trimmed upside and moved to Hold. Policy Pressures May Be Limiting Admissions (Upgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Rising expenses and margin retracement: Several reports cite higher expenses and a ~50 bps margin retracement in the quarter, which combined with volume softness amplifies near-term earnings risk. Q1 Earnings Miss on Rising Expenses

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on HCA shares. Truist Financial boosted their target price on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $546.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Leerink Partners boosted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $507.00 to $573.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. UBS Group lifted 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, February 23rd. KeyCorp set a $503.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $534.41.

Insider Activity

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 owned 8,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,721,924.61. This trade represents a 16.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total value of $747,135.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,003 shares in the company, valued at $14,944,194.27. This trade 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 90 days, insiders have sold 15,214 shares of company stock worth $7,797,595. 1.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 13.1% during the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 43,920 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,719,000 after acquiring an additional 5,092 shares during the last quarter. National Pension Service raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 2.9% during the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 626,585 shares of the company’s stock valued at $267,051,000 after purchasing an additional 17,531 shares in the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 37.7% in the 3rd quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 4,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,938,000 after purchasing an additional 1,246 shares in the last quarter. Sector Gamma AS raised its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 36.0% during the 3rd quarter. Sector Gamma AS now owns 10,883 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,638,000 after buying an additional 2,883 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 11.2% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,084,590 shares of the company’s stock worth $507,393,000 after buying an additional 108,849 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $96.81 billion, a PE ratio of 15.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.36. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $505.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $485.06.

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.