Analysts Set HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) Target Price at $497.14

Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-four brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have given a hold recommendation and fourteen have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $487.2727.

A number of research analysts have weighed in on HCA shares. Leerink Partners dropped their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $573.00 to $500.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wall Street Zen lowered HCA Healthcare from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Weiss Ratings lowered HCA Healthcare from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $588.00 to $525.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $528.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, July 7th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 11.2% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,084,590 shares of the company’s stock worth $507,393,000 after buying an additional 108,849 shares in the last quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 6.2% in the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 64,237 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,990,000 after acquiring an additional 3,724 shares in the last quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP grew its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 154.5% during the third quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 4,693 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,000,000 after purchasing an additional 2,849 shares in the last quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC raised its stake in HCA Healthcare by 61.5% in the fourth quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 6,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,192,000 after purchasing an additional 2,604 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWA Asset Management Group LLC lifted its position in HCA Healthcare by 1,062.4% during the fourth quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 9,555 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,461,000 after purchasing an additional 8,733 shares during the last quarter. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 4.5%

Shares of NYSE HCA opened at $380.00 on Thursday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $394.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $458.29. The company has a market capitalization of $84.30 billion, a PE ratio of 13.07, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.12. HCA Healthcare has a twelve month low of $330.00 and a twelve month high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $7.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $19.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.09 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.89% and a negative return on equity of 295.93%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $6.45 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that HCA Healthcare will post 29.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

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

More HCA Healthcare News

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

• Positive Sentiment: HCA’s preliminary second-quarter revenue was reported above Wall Street expectations, signaling that demand and patient volumes remain solid even as margins come under pressure.
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts still see the stock as undervalued after its recent pullback, and at least one note maintained an overweight/positive stance despite trimming price targets.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent commentary says the stock may still trade at a discount based on longer-term earnings and cash flow potential, implying valuation support if policy headwinds ease.
• Negative Sentiment: HCA cut its 2026 earnings outlook after a less favorable payer mix and more uninsured patients reduced profitability, raising concerns about margin compression.
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage changes and price-target cuts from brokers, including Barclays and KeyCorp, reflect increased caution around policy risks and earnings visibility.
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that federal policy changes could cost HCA about $400 million and that uninsured patient trends may trim profits by about $1 billion have further pressured sentiment.

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.