HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA Shares Sold by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Sterling Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 97.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 681 shares of the company’s stock after selling 26,723 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $291,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HCA opened at $472.94 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $437.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $444.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $102.39 billion, a PE ratio of 15.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 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 results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.65 by $0.57. The firm had revenue of $19.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.33 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 198.52% and a net margin of 8.61%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $6.96 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.16 EPS for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about HCA Healthcare

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on HCA shares. Wall Street Zen raised HCA Healthcare from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $387.00 to $401.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $425.00 to $380.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 27th. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $635.00 to $579.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $475.70.

HCA Healthcare Profile

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.