HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Price Target Cut to $402.00 by Analysts at Barclays

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price objective trimmed by Barclays from $427.00 to $402.00 in a report published on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has an equal weight rating on the stock.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the company. KeyCorp decreased their price target on HCA Healthcare from $510.00 to $475.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Argus reduced their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $560.00 to $500.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $540.00 to $520.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $558.00 to $540.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $528.00 price target on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $486.14.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:HCA opened at $385.71 on Thursday. HCA Healthcare has a 12-month low of $330.00 and a 12-month high of $556.52. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $393.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $457.65. The firm has a market cap of $85.57 billion, a PE ratio of 13.26, a PEG ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.12.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $7.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $19.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.09 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.89% and a negative return on equity of 295.93%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $6.45 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that HCA Healthcare will post 29.77 EPS for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is 10.73%.

Institutional Trading of HCA Healthcare

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HCA. State Street Corp grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,566,643 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,532,563,000 after acquiring an additional 76,039 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,999,422 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,334,040,000 after purchasing an additional 40,086 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,663,705 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,702,738,000 after purchasing an additional 13,565 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter worth about $1,262,513,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 11.9% in the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,311,112 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,078,966,000 after buying an additional 245,887 shares during the period. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts remain constructive, with one Seeking Alpha piece arguing HCA’s recent underperformance may already reflect the biggest policy and margin concerns, and that the stock could be set up for a rebound if fundamentals stabilize.
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays lowered its price target on HCA Healthcare from $427 to $402 and kept an equal-weight rating, signaling a more cautious near-term view even though the new target still implies modest upside from current levels. Barclays Cuts HCA Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles noted that HCA’s stock still looks discounted relative to its long-term earnings power, but valuation arguments may be offset by growing concerns around reimbursement pressure and insurance coverage losses.
• Negative Sentiment: HCA cut its 2026 earnings outlook after reporting that federal policy changes, a worsening payer mix, and more uninsured patients could reduce profits by roughly $1 billion, raising concerns about margin compression and slower growth. HCA Cuts 2026 Earnings Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Reports also highlighted a $400 million hit linked to policy changes and weaker earnings quality, since part of the quarterly beat was helped by a one-time Medicaid payment rather than underlying operating strength.
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and contract issues at one HCA hospital added another headline risk, though this appears less material than the company’s earnings and policy-related pressures.

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.