Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super Buys New Stake in HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Key Points

• Aware Super opened a new position in HCA Healthcare during the first quarter, buying 103,254 shares valued at about $48.9 million. The stake represents roughly 0.7% of its portfolio and makes HCA its 23rd-largest holding.
• HCA reported Q1 EPS of $7.15, slightly below expectations, while revenue came in at $19.11 billion and rose 4.3% year over year. The company also reaffirmed a strong full-year outlook, guiding FY 2026 EPS to 29.1 to 31.5.
• Sentiment around the stock is mixed: several analysts still rate HCA favorably, but price targets have been trimmed and the company itself cut its 2026 earnings forecast due to policy changes, a worse payer mix, and more uninsured patients. HCA also recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.78 per share, or $3.12 annually, for a yield of about 0.8%.

Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 103,254 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $48,864,000. HCA Healthcare makes up about 0.7% of Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super's portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. State Street Corp increased its stake in HCA Healthcare by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,566,643 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,532,563,000 after purchasing an additional 76,039 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,999,422 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,334,040,000 after buying an additional 40,086 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in HCA Healthcare by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,663,705 shares of the company's stock worth $1,702,738,000 after acquiring an additional 13,565 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at $1,262,513,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 11.9% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,311,112 shares of the company's stock worth $1,078,966,000 after purchasing an additional 245,887 shares in the last quarter. 62.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 1.8%

NYSE HCA opened at $385.71 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 50-day moving average price of $393.51 and a 200 day moving average price of $457.65. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.12.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last released 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). The business had revenue of $19.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.09 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 295.93% and a net margin of 8.89%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $6.45 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 29.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were issued a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. HCA Healthcare's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.73%.

HCA Healthcare News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts remain constructive, with one Seeking Alpha piece arguing HCA’s recent underperformance may already reflect the biggest policy and margin concerns, and that the stock could be set up for a rebound if fundamentals stabilize.
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays lowered its price target on HCA Healthcare from $427 to $402 and kept an equal-weight rating, signaling a more cautious near-term view even though the new target still implies modest upside from current levels. Barclays Cuts HCA Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles noted that HCA’s stock still looks discounted relative to its long-term earnings power, but valuation arguments may be offset by growing concerns around reimbursement pressure and insurance coverage losses.
• Negative Sentiment: HCA cut its 2026 earnings outlook after reporting that federal policy changes, a worsening payer mix, and more uninsured patients could reduce profits by roughly $1 billion, raising concerns about margin compression and slower growth. HCA Cuts 2026 Earnings Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Reports also highlighted a $400 million hit linked to policy changes and weaker earnings quality, since part of the quarterly beat was helped by a one-time Medicaid payment rather than underlying operating strength.
• Negative Sentiment: Labor and contract issues at one HCA hospital added another headline risk, though this appears less material than the company’s earnings and policy-related pressures.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Truist Financial set a $413.00 price target on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Oppenheimer decreased their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $540.00 to $520.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 27th. Stephens cut their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $560.00 to $530.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of HCA Healthcare from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $436.00 to $428.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Monday. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $486.14.

HCA Healthcare Company 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.

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