Royal Bank Of Canada Issues Positive Forecast for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock Price

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price target upped by Royal Bank Of Canada from $496.00 to $521.00 in a research note published on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock.

HCA has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Weiss Ratings raised HCA Healthcare from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $535.00 to $495.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $387.00 to $401.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Mizuho set a $495.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $490.00 to $425.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $475.70.

HCA Healthcare Stock Down 1.1%

NYSE HCA opened at $472.94 on Friday. HCA Healthcare has a 52-week low of $353.99 and a 52-week high of $556.52. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $437.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $444.90. The firm has a market cap of $102.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.10.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.65 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $19.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.33 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 198.52% and a net margin of 8.61%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $6.96 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare will post 30.16 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 15th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.45%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HCA. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at about $5,069,974,000. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 20.5% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 4,707,473 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,835,397,000 after acquiring an additional 799,761 shares during the last quarter. Darsana Capital Partners LP boosted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 46.7% in the second quarter. Darsana Capital Partners LP now owns 1,100,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $428,879,000 after acquiring an additional 350,000 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at approximately $410,992,000. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare during the second quarter worth approximately $371,138,000. 62.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its HCA price target from $496 to $521 and reaffirmed an “outperform” rating, implying roughly 10% upside from the referenced trading level. Royal Bank of Canada analyst action
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen increased its price target for HCA Healthcare, adding to the series of favorable analyst revisions following the company’s latest results. TD Cowen price target article
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp also boosted its HCA price target, reinforcing Wall Street’s constructive view of the hospital operator. KeyCorp price target article
• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its target as well, suggesting analysts see further value after HCA’s quarterly earnings beat. Robert W. Baird price target article
• Positive Sentiment: HCA said 102 hospitals received Healthgrades recognition for specialty-care excellence, potentially supporting the company’s reputation, patient demand and competitive positioning. Healthgrades recognition announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: HCA HealthONE agreed to pay $14.5 million for a Wheat Ridge retail center and plans to develop a medical park. The project could expand local capacity, but its financial contribution and execution timeline remain uncertain. Wheat Ridge medical park article
• Neutral Sentiment: A St. David’s HealthCare CEO plans to retire in March, creating a leadership transition within an HCA-affiliated system. St. David’s CEO retirement article
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into potential claims on behalf of HCA investors. The announcement does not establish wrongdoing, but adds legal and headline risk that can pressure the stock. Pomerantz investor investigation announcement

About HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare, Inc is a healthcare services company that operates hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, emergency care facilities, physician practices and other healthcare sites. Its facilities provide a broad range of services, including acute and emergency care, surgery, cardiology, oncology, women’s and children’s services, behavioral health and outpatient care.

The company serves patients primarily across the United States through a network of healthcare facilities in numerous states.