HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock Lifted to “Buy” by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James Financial set a $528.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $635.00 to $579.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 27th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on HCA Healthcare from $558.00 to $485.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $476.00 price target on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $475.70.

HCA Healthcare Stock Down 1.1%

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 company has a 50 day moving average of $437.44 and a two-hundred day moving average of $444.90. The company has a market cap of $102.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.10.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.65 by $0.57. The business had revenue of $19.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.33 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.61% and a negative return on equity of 198.52%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $6.96 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare will post 30.15 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 15th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.34%.

Institutional Trading of HCA Healthcare

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC lifted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 11.1% during the third quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 1,942 shares of the company’s stock worth $911,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its stake in HCA Healthcare by 29.3% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 256 shares of the company’s stock valued at $109,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 24.0% during the third quarter. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,363 shares of the company’s stock worth $582,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares during the period. Pzena Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 3.2% during the third quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 99,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,524,000 after purchasing an additional 3,050 shares during the period. Finally, Rakuten Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. now owns 26,949 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,632,000 after buying an additional 1,480 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare News Summary

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

HCA Healthcare Company 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.