HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA Stock Sold by University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co.

Key Points

• University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. cut its HCA Healthcare stake by 97.7% in the third quarter, selling 14,189 shares and retaining 338 shares worth about $144,000.
• HCA reported quarterly EPS of $7.22, beating the $6.65 consensus estimate, while revenue of $19.85 billion exceeded forecasts and rose 3.6% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.78 per share, equivalent to a 0.6% yield; analysts’ consensus rating was “Moderate Buy,” with a $480.13 average price target.

University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. lowered its position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) by 97.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 338 shares of the company's stock after selling 14,189 shares during the quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co.'s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $144,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MidFirst Bank purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Clearstead Trust LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Latitude Advisors LLC acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare in the third quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the second quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

HCA Healthcare Trading Up 2.0%

Shares of NYSE HCA opened at $504.85 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $105.46 billion, a PE ratio of 17.04, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.11. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a twelve month low of $353.99 and a twelve month high of $556.52. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $445.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $445.45.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.65 by $0.57. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 198.52% and a net margin of 8.61%. The firm had revenue of $19.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.96 EPS. HCA Healthcare's revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.15 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be paid a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 15th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. HCA Healthcare's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.34%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Michael J. Schlosser sold 1,200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $494.65, for a total transaction of $593,580.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 1,443 shares of the company's stock, valued at $713,779.95. This represents a 45.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, COO Jon Foster sold 21,713 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $494.95, for a total transaction of $10,746,849.35. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 10,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,949,500. This trade represents a 68.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 32,913 shares of company stock valued at $16,481,129 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have commented on HCA. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $476.00 target price on HCA Healthcare in a research report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $490.00 to $425.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 20th. Mizuho set a $495.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $635.00 to $579.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $485.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $480.13.

HCA Healthcare Profile

HCA Healthcare is a healthcare services company that operates hospitals and other care facilities. Its services include inpatient and outpatient care, emergency treatment, surgery, diagnostic services and specialized care across areas such as cancer and cardiovascular medicine.

The company serves patients in the United States and the United Kingdom through its network of hospitals and outpatient facilities, including surgery centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices.

Founded in 1968, HCA Healthcare is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.

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