HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA Shares Sold by Kessler Investment Group LLC

Kessler Investment Group LLC decreased its holdings in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 15,728 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,321 shares during the quarter. HCA Healthcare accounts for about 3.1% of Kessler Investment Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest holding. Kessler Investment Group LLC’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $6,712,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MidFirst Bank acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth $28,000. Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the second quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Merkkuri Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the first quarter valued at $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HCA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $476.00 price objective on HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective 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. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $495.00 target price for the company. Raymond James Financial set a $528.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on HCA Healthcare from $435.00 to $496.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $466.35.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HCA traded up $3.82 on Thursday, reaching $442.99. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 346,538 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,342,161. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $418.92 and its two-hundred day moving average is $420.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $95.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.84, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.10. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 52-week low of $353.99 and a 52-week high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The company reported $7.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.56 by $0.03. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 244.79% and a net margin of 8.77%.The company had revenue of $20.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.76 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.84 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 29.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th were issued a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, September 16th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is presently 10.45%.

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

HCA Healthcare, Inc is a provider of healthcare services in the United States. Through its network of hospitals and other healthcare facilities, the company delivers services including emergency and urgent care, surgery, inpatient and outpatient treatment, women’s and children’s care, cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, and behavioral health services.

HCA Healthcare also operates physician practices, ambulatory surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, diagnostic facilities, and other outpatient care sites.