Traders Buy High Volume of DaVita Call Options (NYSE:DVA)

DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders purchased 9,484 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 564% compared to the typical daily volume of 1,428 call options.

DaVita Trading Down 18.1%

DVA stock traded down $41.28 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $186.71. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,626,753 shares, compared to its average volume of 944,597. The company’s 50 day moving average is $219.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $175.36. DaVita has a fifty-two week low of $101.00 and a fifty-two week high of $247.49. The stock has a market cap of $11.99 billion, a PE ratio of 17.32, a P/E/G ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 0.88.

DaVita (NYSE:DVA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $4.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.88 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $3.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.50 billion. DaVita had a negative return on equity of 270.37% and a net margin of 5.65%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.95 EPS. DaVita has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.100-15.200 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that DaVita will post 15.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More DaVita News

Here are the key news stories impacting DaVita this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DaVita reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $4.02, above the $3.88 consensus estimate, while revenue of $3.55 billion exceeded expectations of $3.50 billion. Revenue increased 5.2% year over year, and adjusted operating income reached $579 million. DaVita second-quarter 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Strong treatment-volume growth, $256 million of free cash flow and continued strategic execution supported management’s confidence in the business. The company also continued share repurchases.
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target from $218 to $224 but maintained an “equal weight” rating, indicating limited near-term upside in its view. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: DaVita reaffirmed, rather than raised, its FY 2026 outlook of $14.10-$15.20 in adjusted EPS, $2.15-$2.25 billion in adjusted operating income and $1.0-$1.25 billion in free cash flow. Investors may have expected another guidance increase after the first-quarter upgrade.
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. dialysis revenue per treatment declined sequentially to $415.87 from $417.59, reflecting payer-mix changes and normal fluctuations. General and administrative expense also rose to $331 million from $320 million, adding pressure to margins.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent reported insider activity consisted entirely of sales, including sales by CEO Javier Rodriguez and other executives, while Berkshire Hathaway reduced its position. These transactions may reinforce investor caution, although they are not necessarily tied to operating performance.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on DVA. UBS Group increased their target price on DaVita from $235.00 to $270.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of DaVita from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $126.00 to $220.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Zacks Research cut shares of DaVita from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of DaVita from $218.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of DaVita from $205.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $217.50.

Insider Transactions at DaVita

In related news, insider Kathleen Alyce Waters sold 15,405 shares of DaVita stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $208.40, for a total value of $3,210,402.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 109,194 shares in the company, valued at $22,756,029.60. The trade was a 12.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Joel Ackerman sold 51,471 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.10, for a total value of $9,887,579.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 132,434 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,440,571.40. The trade was a 27.99% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of DaVita

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of DaVita during the 2nd quarter worth $232,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its holdings in shares of DaVita by 3.9% in the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 10,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,381,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of DaVita in the second quarter valued at about $229,000. Polianta Ltd acquired a new stake in DaVita during the second quarter worth about $2,069,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its position in DaVita by 30.5% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 44,783 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,963,000 after purchasing an additional 10,477 shares during the last quarter. 90.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

DaVita Company Profile

DaVita Inc (NYSE: DVA) is a leading provider of kidney care services, specializing in the management and operation of outpatient dialysis centers for patients with chronic kidney failure and end-stage renal disease. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the company offers a comprehensive suite of treatment modalities, including in-center hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and home dialysis therapies. In addition to its core dialysis services, DaVita provides patient education, nutritional counseling, vascular access management and related laboratory services to support kidney health and overall patient well-being.

Since its formation in the mid-1990s through a clinical management services spin-off, DaVita has expanded both organically and through strategic partnerships and acquisitions.