HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Given New $546.00 Price Target at Truist Financial

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price target raised by Truist Financial from $520.00 to $546.00 in a research note released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the stock.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $495.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, October 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $431.00 to $452.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wall Street Zen raised HCA Healthcare from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $470.00 to $520.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $512.43.

HCA Healthcare Stock Down 2.9%

HCA opened at $491.40 on Wednesday. HCA Healthcare has a twelve month low of $295.00 and a twelve month high of $527.55. The company has a market cap of $112.13 billion, a PE ratio of 18.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $481.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $436.28.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.37 by $0.64. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.The business had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $6.22 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The business 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 is a boost from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $473.79, for a total value of $1,843,990.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,652,105.73. This trade represents a 52.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Chung Wu Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter worth $27,000. Clearstead Trust LLC raised its stake 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 acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and strong underlying metrics — HCA reported EPS of $8.01 (well above estimates) driven by higher patient volumes and revenue per equivalent admission, a key near-term earnings catalyst. Earnings Release
• Positive Sentiment: Big buyback and dividend increase support shareholder returns — Management added $10 billion to buybacks and raised the quarterly dividend ~8.3%, actions that tighten free float and boost EPS accretion expectations. Dividend/Buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lift price targets and ratings — Several firms bumped targets (Jefferies to $590, Deutsche to $558, RBC to $555, Truist to $546) and reiterated buy/outperform views, providing additional upside signals for investors. Analyst Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 guidance is constructive but somewhat mixed — Management set FY2026 EPS of $29.10–31.50 (near consensus midpoint) and revenue $76.5B–$80.0B (vs. ~$79.2B consensus), leaving room for upside or downside depending on volumes and cost savings execution. Guidance Release
• Negative Sentiment: Policy headwinds could subtract materially from results — Management warned of a roughly $600M–$1B hit tied to ACA exchange and Medicaid changes (loss of certain tax credits), a tangible downside risk to 2026 cash flow. Policy Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin-risk commentary from some analysts — With a robust share rally over the past year, at least one note flagged that margin gains may be peaking and valuation is full, which could cap upside absent further operational beats. Analyst Caution

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.