VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Lowers Stock Holdings in HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Key Points

• Virginia Retirement Systems ET Al trimmed its HCA Healthcare stake by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 8,480 shares and ending with 288,820 shares valued at about $134.8 million.
• HCA Healthcare reported quarterly EPS of $7.15, slightly below analyst expectations, while revenue of $19.11 billion came in just above estimates and rose 4.3% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.78 per share payable June 30, and analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $517.82.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al lowered its position in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) by 2.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 288,820 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,480 shares during the period. HCA Healthcare comprises approximately 0.8% of VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al's holdings, making the stock its 17th largest holding. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al owned about 0.13% of HCA Healthcare worth $134,839,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of HCA. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at about $31,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. 62.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 0.9%

HCA Healthcare stock opened at $430.11 on Wednesday. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 52 week low of $330.00 and a 52 week high of $556.52. The company has a market capitalization of $95.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $485.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $486.47.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $7.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($0.04). HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.89% and a negative return on equity of 295.93%. The company had revenue of $19.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.09 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $6.45 earnings per share. The company's revenue 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. Research analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. HCA Healthcare's dividend payout ratio is presently 10.73%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. TD Cowen cut their target price on HCA Healthcare from $561.00 to $500.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on HCA Healthcare from $481.00 to $436.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Leerink Partners dropped their price target on HCA Healthcare from $573.00 to $500.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $442.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $517.82.

Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total transaction of $903,528.78. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,853 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,721,924.61. The trade was a 16.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.50% 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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