JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Positive Forecast for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock Price

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its target price upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $420.00 to $535.00 in a research note released on Friday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $535.00 to $590.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $546.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Zacks Research lowered shares of HCA Healthcare from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $555.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $530.77.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 0.8%

NYSE HCA opened at $532.98 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $488.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $454.46. HCA Healthcare has a twelve month low of $295.00 and a twelve month high of $552.90. The company has a market capitalization of $119.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.78, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.36.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.The business’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. Research analysts expect that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.78 per share. This is an increase from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.15%.

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In other HCA Healthcare news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total value of $903,528.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,721,924.61. This trade represents a 16.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Jennifer Berres sold 8,020 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $514.58, for a total transaction of $4,126,931.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 11,993 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,171,357.94. The trade was a 40.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 15,214 shares of company stock worth $7,797,595 in the last 90 days. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. boosted its position in HCA Healthcare by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 2,026 shares of the company’s stock valued at $946,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the period. MJP Associates Inc. ADV grew its stake in HCA Healthcare by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. MJP Associates Inc. ADV now owns 749 shares of the company’s stock worth $350,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 1.0% during the third quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC now owns 2,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,063,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. Finally, Centerpoint Advisors LLC lifted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 11.0% in the third quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 222 shares of the company’s stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: HCA is expanding emergency access through local partnerships and new freestanding ERs, which can increase lower‑acuity, higher‑margin volumes and outpatient revenue. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: HCA opened a new ER site (Shoppes at Mission Trace) — incremental access points support ambulatory/ER growth. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and momentum coverage is favorable: Zacks highlights HCA as a momentum name and JPMorgan raised its price target to $535 (neutral rating but higher target), both of which can attract investor flows. Read More. — Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Local human‑interest/community health stories (neonatal success, suicide‑prevention grant) are positive for brand but unlikely to move the stock materially. Read More. — Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Leadership moves (new chief nurse in Houston; four new leaders in Alaska) are operational/clinic-level changes that support execution but are not major catalysts on their own. Read More. — Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: A nurse sued HCA Florida Palms West Hospital and a security company after a violent patient attack — litigation and safety concerns can raise reputational risk and potential costs. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Critical opinion pieces highlight continued safety concerns at Mission Hospital; sustained negative media about safety can pressure sentiment and invite regulatory/survey scrutiny. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling disclosed: EVP Michael McAlevey sold ~1,694 shares (~$903K). While single insider sales often reflect personal liquidity, markets sometimes view such moves as a minor negative signal. Read More.

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.