Bank of Nova Scotia Buys 12,749 Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Key Points

• Bank of Nova Scotia increased its HCA Healthcare stake by 50.4% in the first quarter, buying 12,749 additional shares and bringing its total position to 38,031 shares worth about $18.0 million.
• HCA Healthcare reported better-than-expected second-quarter results, with EPS of $7.59 and revenue of $20.23 billion, both topping analyst estimates. Revenue rose 8.7% year over year.
• Despite the earnings beat, the company trimmed parts of its 2026 outlook due to higher expenses and weaker surgical volumes, even as analysts still rate the stock a Moderate Buy overall.

Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) by 50.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 38,031 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,749 shares during the quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia's holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $17,998,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. MCF Advisors LLC grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 213.0% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 72 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Trading Up 1.5%

NYSE HCA opened at $382.28 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $84.80 billion, a PE ratio of 12.80, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.12. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 12 month low of $330.00 and a 12 month high of $556.52. The company's 50-day moving average price is $386.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $453.73.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The company reported $7.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.56 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $20.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.76 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.89% and a negative return on equity of 295.93%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $6.84 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 29.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Trending Headlines about HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: HCA beat Q2 earnings estimates, reporting $7.59 per share versus expectations around $7.56-$7.57, while revenue rose 8.7% year over year to $20.23 billion and also topped estimates. HCA Healthcare earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Management cited strong admissions and higher revenue per admission as key drivers of the quarter, suggesting healthy demand trends across its hospital network. Zacks article on HCA Q2 results
• Neutral Sentiment: HCA said its updated guidance is consistent with its earlier preview, so the quarter appears to confirm previously signaled results rather than deliver a major surprise. BusinessWire Q2 results
• Negative Sentiment: The company trimmed parts of its 2026 outlook, pointing to higher expenses and weaker surgical volumes as headwinds that could limit margin expansion. Zacks guidance revision article
• Negative Sentiment: Separate investor-law-firm investigations into HCA may add some legal overhang, though these notices are not operational results. Pomerantz investor alert

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HCA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Argus decreased their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $560.00 to $500.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $450.00 price target on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on HCA Healthcare from $534.00 to $435.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $442.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $528.00 price objective on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. 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 data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $483.45.

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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