KeyCorp Brokers Raise Earnings Estimates for HCA Healthcare

Key Points

• KeyCorp raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for HCA Healthcare to $30.07 from $29.21, maintaining an “Overweight” rating and $490 price target. Its forecasts imply earnings growth to $31.32 in FY2027 and $35.11 in FY2028.
• HCA reported quarterly EPS of $7.22, beating consensus by $0.57, while revenue reached $19.85 billion, up 3.6% year over year and above expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and $475.70 target price; the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.78 per share, yielding approximately 0.7%.

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at KeyCorp upped their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for HCA Healthcare in a report released on Tuesday, October 27th. KeyCorp analyst M. Gillmor now forecasts that the company will post earnings of $30.07 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $29.21. KeyCorp has an "Overweight" rating and a $490.00 price objective on the stock. The consensus estimate for HCA Healthcare's current full-year earnings is $30.15 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for HCA Healthcare's Q4 2026 earnings at $8.11 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $7.41 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $7.84 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $7.59 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $8.48 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $31.32 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $35.11 EPS.

HCA has been the subject of several other research reports. Mizuho set a $495.00 target price on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded HCA Healthcare from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. TD Cowen upped their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $460.00 to $486.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $558.00 to $485.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. 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's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $475.70.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

HCA Healthcare stock opened at $472.94 on Monday. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $437.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $444.90. HCA Healthcare has a 52-week low of $353.99 and a 52-week high of $556.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $98.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.67, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 1.11.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.65 by $0.57. The company had revenue of $19.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 period in the previous year, the company earned $6.96 EPS.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sunbelt Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 171.7% in the first quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 6,242 shares of the company's stock worth $2,954,000 after acquiring an additional 3,945 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in HCA Healthcare by 27.5% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 467,796 shares of the company's stock worth $221,380,000 after buying an additional 100,764 shares in the last quarter. SEB Asset Management AB acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 1st quarter valued at $75,534,000. Darsana Capital Partners LP grew its position in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $238,457,000. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 15th. HCA Healthcare's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.34%.

Key Headlines Impacting 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

About HCA Healthcare

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.

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