HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Announces Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.04 EPS

Key Points

• Q1 results: HCA reported EPS of $7.15, missing consensus by $0.04, with revenue of $19.11B (up 4.3% year‑over‑year) and updated FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $29.10–$31.50.
• Market reaction and shareholder moves: Shares fell about $34.11 to $439.92 on heavy volume; the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.78 (annual $3.12, 0.7% yield) while insiders sold roughly 15,214 shares worth ~$7.8M last quarter.
• Mixed outlook: Analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average target of $537.36, but investors noted concerning metrics including a reported negative return on equity (409.11%) and a modest net margin (8.97%).

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Friday. The company reported $7.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($0.04), Zacks reports. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.The firm had revenue of $19.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.09 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.45 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare's quarterly revenue was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. HCA Healthcare updated its FY 2026 guidance to 29.100-31.500 EPS.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

NYSE:HCA traded down $34.11 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $439.92. 1,877,008 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,082,793. The company has a fifty day moving average of $507.59 and a 200 day moving average of $485.06. HCA Healthcare has a twelve month low of $321.39 and a twelve month high of $556.52. The company has a market capitalization of $98.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.36.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from HCA Healthcare's previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. HCA Healthcare's dividend payout ratio is currently 10.99%.

Key Stories Impacting HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong demand and profit commentary: Reuters reports HCA beat quarterly profit-view expectations on robust demand for medical services, which supports near-term cash flow and operating leverage. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and net income growth: HCA reported Q1 revenue up 4.3% to $19.109B and net income modestly higher year‑over‑year, showing demand resilience across its hospital network. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst activity ahead of results: Some analysts revised forecasts into the quarter (pre-earnings activity), reflecting expectations volatility but not a clear directional catalyst by itself. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor focus on volume and margins: Previews noted that volume and margin trends would drive reaction — the quarter provides data but leaves questions about margin sustainability. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Slight EPS miss: HCA reported EPS of $7.15 for Q1, a small miss versus the Zacks/consensus (around $7.17–$7.19), which disappointed some short‑term traders despite year‑over‑year EPS growth. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious FY‑2026 guidance range: Management set FY‑26 EPS guidance of $29.10–$31.50 and revenue guidance of $76.5B–$80.0B; the wide range (and a midpoint roughly in line or slightly below some street models) left investors wary about visibility into margins and volumes. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Balance-sheet/metric flags: Commentary and data releases highlighted a negative return on equity metric and a modest net margin, which some investors view as a structural concern tied to capital allocation (large buybacks/dividends). Press Release

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, 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 value of $4,126,931.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 11,993 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,171,357.94. This represents a 40.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total value of $903,528.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,853 shares in the company, valued at $4,721,924.61. This represents a 16.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 15,214 shares of company stock valued at $7,797,595. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HCA. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,021,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 11.9% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,859 shares of the company's stock worth $1,334,000 after buying an additional 409 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 5.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company's stock worth $241,000 after buying an additional 33 shares during the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter worth about $2,073,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 56.3% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 136,589 shares of the company's stock worth $52,328,000 after buying an additional 49,214 shares during the last quarter. 62.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $541.00 target price on HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, February 9th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $442.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Leerink Partners upped their target price on HCA Healthcare from $507.00 to $573.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Barclays upped their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $598.00 to $635.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $537.36.

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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