HCA Healthcare (HCA) Expected to Release Earnings on Friday

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) is anticipated to announce its Q2 2026 results before the market opens on Friday, July 24th. Analysts expect HCA Healthcare to announce earnings of $7.52 per share and revenue of $19.6755 billion for the quarter. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. Investors may review the information on the company’s upcoming Q2 2026 earning report page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Friday, July 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 analyst estimates of $19.09 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.89% and a negative return on equity of 295.93%. The business’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.45 EPS. On average, analysts expect HCA Healthcare to post $30 EPS for the current fiscal year and $33 EPS for the next fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of HCA opened at $385.71 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $85.57 billion, a PE ratio of 13.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.12. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $393.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $457.65. HCA Healthcare has a 12-month low of $330.00 and a 12-month high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting HCA Healthcare

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.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HCA has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James Financial set a $528.00 price objective on HCA Healthcare in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $450.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Tuesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $558.00 to $540.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on HCA Healthcare from $535.00 to $490.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $442.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $486.14.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 58.5% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 1,872,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $717,214,000 after purchasing an additional 690,773 shares in the last quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI increased its stake in HCA Healthcare by 3,755.9% in the third quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI now owns 269,912 shares of the company’s stock valued at $115,036,000 after purchasing an additional 262,912 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 83.3% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 399,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $169,951,000 after buying an additional 181,464 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 421.4% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 219,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $102,371,000 after acquiring an additional 177,223 shares during the period. Finally, Abdiel Capital Advisors LP grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 35.5% in the second quarter. Abdiel Capital Advisors LP now owns 646,222 shares of the company’s stock valued at $247,568,000 after purchasing an additional 169,201 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

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.