HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock Price Expected to Rise, TD Cowen Analyst Says

Key Points

• TD Cowen raised its price target on HCA to $561 (from $529) and kept a "buy" rating—implying about a 4.6% upside$537.73 (16 Buys, 8 Holds, 1 Sell).
• HCA beat quarterly EPS expectations with $8.01 EPS vs. $7.37 expected, while revenue of $19.51B slightly missed estimates, and management set FY2026 guidance of 29.10–31.50 EPS (analysts expect ~24.98 EPS).
• Corporate insiders sold about 15,214 shares (~$7.8M) in the last quarter (insiders own 1.3%), while institutional investors hold roughly 62.73% of the stock.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by research analysts at TD Cowen from $529.00 to $561.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "buy" rating on the stock. TD Cowen's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 4.59% from the company's previous close.

HCA has been the subject of a number of other reports. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $558.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $541.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $423.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, Zacks Research cut HCA Healthcare from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 27th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, HCA Healthcare has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $537.73.

HCA Healthcare Stock Down 1.6%

HCA opened at $536.38 on Tuesday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $501.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $466.79. The company has a market cap of $119.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.94, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.34. HCA Healthcare has a 52-week low of $310.18 and a 52-week high of $552.90.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last released 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 negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.The company had revenue of $19.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $6.22 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total transaction of $747,135.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 30,003 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,944,194.27. This trade represents a 4.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total value of $903,528.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 8,853 shares in the company, valued at $4,721,924.61. The trade was a 16.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,214 shares of company stock worth $7,797,595. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HCA. Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 43,920 shares of the company's stock valued at $18,719,000 after buying an additional 5,092 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank lifted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 4.3% during the second quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 558,900 shares of the company's stock worth $214,115,000 after buying an additional 23,100 shares during the period. National Pension Service boosted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 626,585 shares of the company's stock valued at $267,051,000 after purchasing an additional 17,531 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC grew its stake in HCA Healthcare by 37.7% during the 3rd quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 4,548 shares of the company's stock worth $1,938,000 after buying an additional 1,246 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sector Gamma AS lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 36.0% during the 3rd quarter. Sector Gamma AS now owns 10,883 shares of the company's stock worth $4,638,000 after acquiring an additional 2,883 shares during the period. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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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