Hudson Bay Capital Management LP Increases Stock Position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Key Points

• Hudson Bay Capital Management LP increased its stake in HCA by 154.5% in Q3 to 4,693 shares, now valued at about $2.0 million.
• HCA beat Q4 EPS estimates with $8.01 vs. $7.37, revenue rose 6.7% year‑over‑year, and the company set FY2026 guidance of 29.10–31.50 EPS (analyst consensus ~24.98).
• HCA raised its quarterly dividend to $0.78 (annualized $3.12, ~0.6% yield) while insiders sold roughly 15,214 shares (~$7.8 million) over the past three months.

Hudson Bay Capital Management LP increased its holdings in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) by 154.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,693 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 2,849 shares during the period. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP's holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $2,000,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 82.9% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 75 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Compound Global Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the third quarter worth $44,000. 62.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Trading Down 1.2%

HCA opened at $493.61 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $510.01 and a two-hundred day moving average of $473.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $110.36 billion, a PE ratio of 17.39, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.34. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 12-month low of $314.43 and a 12-month high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.37 by $0.64. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.97% and a negative return on equity of 409.11%. The firm had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $6.22 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 24.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from HCA Healthcare's previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. HCA Healthcare's dividend payout ratio is 10.99%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on HCA shares. TD Cowen boosted their target price on HCA Healthcare from $529.00 to $561.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered HCA Healthcare from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Leerink Partners lifted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $507.00 to $573.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $555.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered shares of HCA Healthcare from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and set a $425.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Monday, December 15th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $537.73.

HCA Healthcare News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer publicly recommended buying HCA, calling it a buy in “big clumps,” which can drive retail interest and short‑term inflows. Jim Cramer on HCA Healthcare
• Positive Sentiment: HCA hospitals received regional/national recognition (Ocala hospitals praised for patient safety; HCA Florida North Florida Hospital named to America’s 250 Best Hospitals), which supports brand, referrals and patient volumes. Ocala hospitals honored for excellence in patient safety
• Positive Sentiment: HCA Florida North Florida Hospital included among America’s 250 Best Hospitals, reinforcing quality credentials that can protect pricing and payer relationships. HCA Florida North Florida Hospital among America’s 250 Best Hospitals
• Positive Sentiment: Virginia regulators approved new hospitals/expansions that include HCA projects, supporting medium‑term revenue growth and market share in that region. State approves three Chesterfield hospital projects
• Neutral Sentiment: Human-interest coverage (a North Carolina NICU St. Patrick’s Day feature) highlights community care but is unlikely to move the stock materially. North Carolina NICU Celebrates St. Patrick's Day
• Negative Sentiment: HCA’s board urged shareholders to reject a proposal for fuller reporting on the aftermath of the 2019 Mission sale — a governance/oversight flashpoint that can raise investor concern and activist interest. HCA board urges shareholders to reject proposal
• Negative Sentiment: An HCA hospital CEO is leaving for Beth Israel Lahey Health — an executive departure that may be seen as local leadership turnover and could modestly concern investors about continuity in affected markets. HCA hospital CEO heads to Beth Israel Lahey Health

Insider Buying and Selling

In other HCA Healthcare news, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total value of $747,135.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,003 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,944,194.27. The trade was a 4.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Jennifer Berres sold 8,020 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $514.58, for a total transaction of $4,126,931.60. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 11,993 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,171,357.94. The trade was a 40.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 15,214 shares of company stock valued at $7,797,595. Insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

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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