HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Price Target Raised to $558.00

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price target lifted by The Goldman Sachs Group from $520.00 to $558.00 in a report published on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The Goldman Sachs Group currently has 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 $525.00 to $598.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $555.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded HCA Healthcare from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 25th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $588.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $518.76.

HCA Healthcare Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of HCA stock opened at $488.19 on Wednesday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $481.07 and its two-hundred day moving average is $437.35. The company has a market capitalization of $111.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare has a 12-month low of $295.00 and a 12-month high of $527.55.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.37 by $0.64. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.97% and a negative return on equity of 409.11%. The business had revenue of $19.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $6.22 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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. On average, research analysts predict that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This is an increase 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%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.15%.

Insider Transactions at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 $1,652,105.73. This trade represents a 52.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,021,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in HCA Healthcare by 11.9% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,859 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,334,000 after purchasing an additional 409 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 5.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 4.5% during the second quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 14,633 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,606,000 after purchasing an additional 636 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter worth about $234,000. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

HCA Healthcare News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong quarterly results and market reaction — HCA reported an EPS beat and raised FY 2026 guidance, prompting coverage noting a gap up in the stock after the print. Shares Gap Up on Strong Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts boost targets and maintain bullish ratings — Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $558 (buy) and Leerink Partners increased its target to $573 (outperform), supporting further upside potential. Goldman Sachs Raises PT Leerink Raises PT TickerReport
• Positive Sentiment: Additional bullish analyst commentary — Truist and Deutsche Bank analysts publicly stated expectations for HCA shares to rise, reinforcing the buy-side momentum. Truist Note Deutsche Bank Note
• Positive Sentiment: Brand and quality recognition — Multiple HCA hospitals placed on Healthgrades’ America’s 50/100/250 Best Hospitals lists, supporting reputation and referral flows. Healthgrades Recognition
• Positive Sentiment: Outpatient growth and M&A runway — Company commentary and industry pieces highlight HCA’s push into outpatient facilities and acquisition opportunities, which investors view as margin‑accretive growth. Outpatient Growth Acquisition Opportunities
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish research notes/coverage — Zacks highlights HCA as a strong growth stock based on style scores, adding to favorable retail/institutional sentiment. Zacks Growth Stock Piece
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts say the narrative is shifting — Coverage explores how the investment story is evolving post‑earnings/target resets; watch valuation vs. growth expectations. Analyst Narrative
• Neutral Sentiment: Local expansion and competitive landscape — Reporting on new ER builds and regional facility activity (e.g., southwest Florida) that may influence local market share dynamics. Local ER Story Freestanding EDs
• Negative Sentiment: Policy/regulatory risk — HCA is publicly noting it is monitoring federal policy shifts that could affect reimbursement or operations; this is a watcher for downside risk. Policy Risk

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.