HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Earns "Outperform" Rating from Royal Bank Of Canada

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada reiterated its “outperform” rating on HCA Healthcare and set a $435 price target, implying approximately 12.5% upside from the prior close.
• HCA reported quarterly EPS of $7.59, slightly above estimates, while revenue rose 8.7% year over year to $20.23 billion and exceeded forecasts.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with 14 Buy ratings, nine Holds and one Sell; however, several firms have recently lowered their price targets, and the consensus target stands at $480.86.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "outperform" rating restated by investment analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $435.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's target price points to a potential upside of 12.46% from the stock's previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Raymond James Financial set a $528.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Barclays decreased their price target on HCA Healthcare from $402.00 to $387.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $535.00 to $490.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $413.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $480.86.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

HCA Healthcare stock traded up $4.60 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $386.79. 133,803 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,331,207. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $386.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $453.56. The firm has a market cap of $85.81 billion, a PE ratio of 12.95, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.12. HCA Healthcare has a 12 month low of $331.61 and a 12 month high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The company reported $7.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.56 by $0.03. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 244.79% and a net margin of 8.77%.The company had revenue of $20.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $6.84 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare's revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare will post 29.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HCA. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its stake in HCA Healthcare by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 64,237 shares of the company's stock worth $29,990,000 after buying an additional 3,724 shares during the last quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 61.5% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Capital Management LLC now owns 6,836 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,192,000 after purchasing an additional 2,604 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in HCA Healthcare by 11.9% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,311,112 shares of the company's stock worth $1,078,966,000 after purchasing an additional 245,887 shares during the period. Liberty Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,905,000. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 55,273 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,805,000 after acquiring an additional 5,019 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly results exceeded expectations: HCA reported second-quarter revenue of approximately $20.23 billion, up 8.7% year over year and above estimates, while adjusted earnings of $7.59 per share narrowly topped consensus. Net income reached about $1.7 billion. HCA Healthcare Q2 CY2026 sales top estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Florida Medicaid supported profitability: A Florida Medicaid program helped boost second-quarter profit, providing a favorable contribution to results. HCA Healthcare 2Q Profit Boosted by Florida Medicaid Program
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain broadly constructive: Oppenheimer lowered its price target to $485 but maintained an “outperform” rating, while KeyCorp reduced its target to $435 and kept an “overweight” rating. Both targets imply additional upside from the recent trading level. Analyst price-target updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend announced: HCA declared a quarterly dividend of $0.78 per share, payable September 30 to shareholders of record September 16. The annualized yield is approximately 0.8%.
• Negative Sentiment: Full-year outlook was reduced: Management cut its 2026 profit outlook, tempering the impact of the quarterly beat and signaling pressure on expected earnings growth. HCA posts $1.7B net income and cuts 2026 profit outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Compliance concerns persist: A monitor identified potential noncompliance at Mission Health for the third consecutive year, creating regulatory and reputational risk. Mission monitor reports potential noncompliance
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage headwinds remain: ACA-related volume declines have reportedly shifted nearly one-for-one to uninsured patients, potentially pressuring payer mix and margins. HCA Healthcare ACA coverage disruptions
• Negative Sentiment: Price targets were broadly lowered: Robert W. Baird cut its target to $393 with a “neutral” rating, and Barclays reduced its target to $387 with an “equal weight” rating, reflecting more limited near-term upside. Analyst price-target reductions

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.