HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA Holdings Cut by Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Diamond Hill Capital Management sharply reduced its HCA Healthcare stake by 92.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 618,170 shares and leaving it with 46,961 shares worth about $21.9 million.
• Despite some investor selling, institutional ownership remains high at 62.73%, and several other funds increased their positions in HCA during the quarter.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on HCA Healthcare, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $515.77, though some firms have recently lowered their targets.

Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc. decreased its stake in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) by 92.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 46,961 shares of the company's stock after selling 618,170 shares during the quarter. Diamond Hill Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $21,924,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 135.4% in the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 2,568 shares of the company's stock worth $1,199,000 after acquiring an additional 1,477 shares during the period. Aspen Investment Management Inc boosted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 7.2% during the 4th quarter. Aspen Investment Management Inc now owns 749 shares of the company's stock valued at $350,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. MJP Associates Inc. ADV boosted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. MJP Associates Inc. ADV now owns 749 shares of the company's stock valued at $350,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions boosted its position in HCA Healthcare by 838.2% in the fourth quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 8,003 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,736,000 after buying an additional 7,150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. raised its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 38,454 shares of the company's stock worth $17,952,000 after acquiring an additional 1,142 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on HCA shares. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $442.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of HCA Healthcare from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $525.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Friday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $535.00 to $490.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Argus decreased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $560.00 to $500.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $515.77.

HCA Healthcare News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street sentiment remains constructive, with brokerages giving HCA Healthcare (HCA) a “Moderate Buy” consensus recommendation, which can help support the stock by reinforcing confidence in the company’s earnings outlook. HCA Healthcare, Inc. NYSE: HCA Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages
• Positive Sentiment: HCA Healthcare also presented at the RBC Capital Markets Global Healthcare Conference, keeping investor focus on management’s strategy and financial outlook during a period of elevated scrutiny. HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) Presents at RBC Capital Markets Global Healthcare Conference 2026 Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Community-focused coverage highlighted HCA Virginia colleagues exceeding a volunteer goal, and another hospital recognized survivors, first responders, and trauma staff; these stories are not financial catalysts, but they reinforce the company’s brand and community profile. HCA Virginia colleagues exceed volunteer goal, aid local communities HCA Florida Lawnwood honors survivors, praises first responders and trauma staff
• Neutral Sentiment: Several headlines were primarily local goodwill pieces about EMS Week and trauma awareness at HCA-affiliated facilities, which are unlikely to move the stock on their own. Celebrating National EMS Week 2026 with MountainStar Healthcare HCA observes trauma awareness
• Neutral Sentiment: News that an HCA hospital CEO is leaving for ScionHealth looks more like a routine executive move than a company-wide warning sign, though investors may watch for any broader leadership turnover. HCA hospital CEO heads to ScionHealth
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage that Mission Hospital and another HCA hospital spent more than $10 million on employee pay raises could be viewed as a margin headwind if wage inflation continues, since labor costs are a major expense for hospital operators. Mission Hospital spends more than $10M on employee pay raises HCA hospital invests $10M to bump payroll
• Negative Sentiment: A headline asking whether HCA Healthcare stock is bullish or bearish suggests ongoing debate about the shares’ valuation and outlook, which may reflect investor caution after recent weakness. HCA Healthcare stock outlook: Is Wall Street bullish or bearish?

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HCA opened at $392.39 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $87.05 billion, a PE ratio of 13.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.18. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $468.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $484.24. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $330.00 and a fifty-two week high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $7.15 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($0.04). HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 295.93% and a net margin of 8.89%.The firm had revenue of $19.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.09 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.45 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. HCA Healthcare's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.73%.

HCA Healthcare 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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