Argus Raises HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Price Target to $560.00

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Argus from $530.00 to $560.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Argus’ price target would indicate a potential upside of 11.70% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on HCA Healthcare from $452.00 to $481.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Barclays boosted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Stephens upped their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Sixteen 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 MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $521.55.

HCA Healthcare Stock Down 2.4%

HCA stock traded down $12.40 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $501.36. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 364,267 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,104,998. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $480.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $441.12. The stock has a market cap of $114.41 billion, a PE ratio of 17.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare has a 52 week low of $295.00 and a 52 week high of $527.55.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total transaction of $747,135.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 30,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,944,194.27. This trade represents a 4.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. Clearstead Trust LLC grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 311.8% in the 2nd quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 70 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. 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.