Arizona State Retirement System Sells 6,554 Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Key Points

• Arizona State Retirement System cut its HCA stake by 12.4% in Q4, selling 6,554 shares and leaving it with 46,138 shares valued at $21.54 million.
• Insider selling picked up this quarter: SVP Jennifer Berres sold 8,020 shares (~$4.13M) and EVP Michael Cuffe sold 1,500 shares (~$747K), with insiders offloading 15,214 shares (~$7.8M) in total.
• Q1 results and guidance: HCA reported EPS of $7.15 (a slight miss) and $19.11B revenue, set FY‑2026 guidance of $29.10–$31.50 EPS, and carries a MarketBeat analyst consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a $534.41 average price target.

Arizona State Retirement System decreased its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) by 12.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 46,138 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,554 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System's holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $21,540,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 799.1% in the fourth quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 7,741 shares of the company's stock worth $3,614,000 after acquiring an additional 6,880 shares during the period. Diversified Enterprises LLC raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 282.1% in the fourth quarter. Diversified Enterprises LLC now owns 2,545 shares of the company's stock worth $1,188,000 after acquiring an additional 1,879 shares during the period. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 3,474 shares of the company's stock worth $1,636,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares during the period. Quent Long Short Global Small Cap Fund LP bought a new position in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth approximately $405,000. Finally, Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 931 shares of the company's stock worth $435,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare

In other news, SVP Jennifer Berres sold 8,020 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $514.58, for a total value of $4,126,931.60. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 11,993 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,171,357.94. The trade was a 40.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total transaction of $747,135.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,003 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,944,194.27. This represents a 4.76% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 15,214 shares of company stock valued at $7,797,595 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HCA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $525.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Friday. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $452.00 to $481.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, HCA Healthcare has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $534.41.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

HCA Healthcare stock opened at $433.04 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $96.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 1 year low of $321.39 and a 1 year high of $556.52. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $505.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $485.06.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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). The company had revenue of $19.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.09 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.97% and a negative return on equity of 409.11%. HCA Healthcare's quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.45 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. Research analysts expect that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.15 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. HCA Healthcare's payout ratio is 10.99%.

Trending Headlines about HCA Healthcare

Here are the key news stories impacting HCA Healthcare this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and demand beat/strength: Q1 revenue rose ~4.3% to $19.11B and the company cited strong medical care demand; some outlets note the company beat profit estimates on service demand. HCA Healthcare beats quarterly profit estimates on medical care demand
• Positive Sentiment: Margins still meaningful: HCA reported a ~12% operating margin in Q1, showing underlying profitability despite a dynamic operating environment. HCA posts 12% operating margin in Q1: 8 things to know
• Neutral Sentiment: Official results and call: HCA reported EPS of $7.15 and released its earnings call transcript and press release (revenue in line with consensus). These documents give full context on volumes, mix and expense items for analysts. HCA Healthcare Reports First Quarter 2026 Results Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Volume weakness weighed heavily: Surgical volumes softened and total volumes missed seasonal expectations, which traders flagged as the main reason for the share decline despite a near-term beat on profits. HCA Healthcare stock plunges nearly 8% on weak volume trends despite Q1 beat
• Negative Sentiment: EPS/guidance miss vs. street: Reported EPS was roughly flat to estimates (small miss on some models) and FY26 guidance of $29.10–$31.50 EPS (and revenue range) sits slightly below consensus, prompting downward revisions. HCA Trading/Guidance Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Policy and longer-term growth concerns: Analysts warn policy headwinds (Medicaid/ACA subsidy rollbacks) may limit admissions growth to low single digits over coming years — a reason at least one shop trimmed upside and moved to Hold. Policy Pressures May Be Limiting Admissions (Upgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Rising expenses and margin retracement: Several reports cite higher expenses and a ~50 bps margin retracement in the quarter, which combined with volume softness amplifies near-term earnings risk. Q1 Earnings Miss on Rising Expenses

About HCA Healthcare

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.

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