Leuthold Group LLC Boosts Stock Position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Leuthold Group LLC lifted its position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 11.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 17,927 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,772 shares during the quarter. Leuthold Group LLC’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $8,369,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Aspire Growth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at about $216,000. May Hill Capital LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at about $220,000. Qsemble Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter valued at about $3,342,000. AlphaCore Capital LLC boosted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 12.2% during the 4th quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 792 shares of the company’s stock valued at $370,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares during the period. Finally, Convergence Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 385.1% during the 4th quarter. Convergence Investment Partners LLC now owns 2,954 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,379,000 after acquiring an additional 2,345 shares during the period. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HCA opened at $422.68 on Friday. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 52-week low of $330.00 and a 52-week high of $556.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $93.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $478.74 and a 200-day moving average price of $485.84.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $7.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($0.04). HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 295.93% and a net margin of 8.89%.The firm had revenue of $19.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.09 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $6.45 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.73%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total transaction of $903,528.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,721,924.61. This trade represents a 16.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on HCA shares. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $442.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. TD Cowen lowered their price target on HCA Healthcare from $561.00 to $500.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price target on HCA Healthcare from $541.00 to $503.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $558.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $525.00 price target on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $517.82.

HCA Healthcare 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.