Bell Asset Management Ltd Reduces Stock Holdings in HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Bell Asset Management Ltd lessened its stake in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 37.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,274 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,042 shares during the quarter. Bell Asset Management Ltd’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $3,526,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth $1,021,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 11.9% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,334,000 after purchasing an additional 409 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock worth $241,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. boosted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $343,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter worth $48,000. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total value of $747,135.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,003 shares in the company, valued at $14,944,194.27. This represents a 4.76% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Christopher F. Wyatt sold 4,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.00, for a total transaction of $2,020,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 44,379 shares in the company, valued at $22,411,395. This trade represents a 8.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 15,214 shares of company stock worth $7,797,595 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

NYSE:HCA opened at $533.63 on Monday. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 12-month low of $310.18 and a 12-month high of $552.90. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $500.34 and a 200 day simple moving average of $465.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $119.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.34.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $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. Research analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 24.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. This is a positive change from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is currently 10.15%.

HCA Healthcare News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment and research upgrades: several outlets and analysts continue to rate HCA favorably — one consensus snapshot called the stock a “Moderate Buy,” reflecting continued analyst confidence that HCA can grow earnings and return capital to shareholders. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term demographic bull case: MarketBeat argues HCA is a likely beneficiary of U.S. aging demographics, noting management’s strong guidance (FY2026 EPS and EBITDA ranges), expanded capex, a $10B repurchase authorization and a raised dividend — all supportive of long‑term growth and shareholder returns. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimate tweaks from Zacks: Zacks Research nudged near‑term EPS estimates slightly higher for Q2, Q3 and Q4 2026 and raised FY2026 to $29.63, which supports the earnings outlook, but it kept a “Hold” rating — a modest positive but not a strong endorsement. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ view is mixed farther out: while FY2026 estimates were lifted, Zacks trimmed its FY2028 EPS forecast modestly — a sign analysts see near‑term strength but some uncertainty on longer‑term margin expansion. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Local/industry headlines are mixed and mostly non‑company specific: a local hospital (Manchester’s Catholic Medical Center) plans to end outpatient mental‑health services and a leadership hire at Methodist Healthcare were reported — signals about regional capacity and staffing but with limited direct impact on HCA’s large national footprint. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term policy and revenue risks remain prominent: recent company commentary and market writeups note revenue growth was slightly below expectations in the prior quarter and management flagged $600–$900M of potential EBITDA headwinds from insurance‑exchange changes plus state supplemental payment declines — factors that could cap near‑term upside despite strong EPS. Article Title

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on HCA. KeyCorp set a $503.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on HCA Healthcare from $452.00 to $481.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Wednesday. Barclays upped their price target on HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Leerink Partners boosted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $507.00 to $573.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $534.50.

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.