Analysts Set HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) Target Price at $465.05

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-three analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have issued a hold recommendation and fourteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $465.5909.

HCA has been the topic of a number of research reports. KeyCorp dropped their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $475.00 to $435.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded HCA Healthcare from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on HCA Healthcare from $369.00 to $381.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $485.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 27th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the first quarter valued at about $33,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 213.0% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 72 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of NYSE HCA opened at $409.78 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $88.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.72, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.10. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $387.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $449.42. HCA Healthcare has a 52-week low of $353.99 and a 52-week high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The company reported $7.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.56 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $20.23 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.76 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 244.79% and a net margin of 8.77%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $6.84 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare will post 29.45 EPS for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 16th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.45%.

Trending Headlines about HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo analyst commentary indicated that HCA Healthcare’s stock is expected to rise, reinforcing a favorable Wall Street view of the company’s outlook. HCA Healthcare Stock Price Expected to Rise, Wells Fargo Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: HCA Healthcare acquired 40 Texas urgent-care centers from Texas MedClinic, expanding its outpatient footprint and adding facilities in a growing, lower-cost segment of healthcare delivery. The clinics are being rebranded under HCA’s network, which could support referral growth and operating synergies. HCA Acquires 40 Texas Urgent Care Centers
• Neutral Sentiment: An independent monitor discussed HCA’s ownership of Mission Hospital. The report keeps attention on oversight and performance at the North Carolina facility, but the article does not indicate a new financial penalty or material change to HCA’s operations. Independent Monitor Discusses HCA’s Ownership of Mission Hospital
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced investigations into HCA and possible securities-law violations following the company’s preliminary operating and financial disclosures. These notices are generally solicitations for investors and do not establish wrongdoing, but they add headline risk and could lead to litigation costs or additional scrutiny. HCA Shareholder Alert Pomerantz Investor Alert Bragar Eagel & Squire Investigation Alert

About HCA Healthcare

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.