Q2 EPS Estimates for HCA Healthcare Increased by Analyst

Key Points

• Zacks Research nudged up its Q2 2026 EPS estimate for HCA to $7.21 from $7.18 and maintains a "Hold" rating while projecting FY2026 and FY2028 EPS of $29.63 and $37.40, respectively.
• HCA reported Q4 EPS of $8.01, beating estimates of $7.37, while revenue of $19.51 billion slightly missed consensus; the company set FY2026 guidance of $29.10–$31.50 EPS.
• The firm raised its quarterly dividend to $0.78 (annualized $3.12, ~0.6% yield), and analysts hold a consensus Moderate Buy with an average price target of $534.50 as the stock trades near $535.

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Zacks Research increased their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for HCA Healthcare in a research report issued on Wednesday, March 4th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will earn $7.21 per share for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $7.18. Zacks Research currently has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for HCA Healthcare's current full-year earnings is $24.98 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for HCA Healthcare's Q3 2026 earnings at $7.11 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $8.20 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $29.63 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $37.40 EPS.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $7.37 by $0.64. The business had revenue of $19.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $6.22 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $555.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $558.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $541.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Monday, February 9th. KeyCorp set a $503.00 price target on HCA Healthcare in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $420.00 to $535.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, HCA Healthcare presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $534.50.

HCA Healthcare Stock Down 1.7%

HCA stock opened at $534.93 on Friday. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $499.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $464.00. The firm has a market cap of $119.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.85, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.34. HCA Healthcare has a 52-week low of $310.18 and a 52-week high of $552.90.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp lifted its position in HCA Healthcare by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,566,643 shares of the company's stock worth $3,532,563,000 after buying an additional 76,039 shares during the period. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,999,422 shares of the company's stock worth $2,334,040,000 after acquiring an additional 40,086 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in HCA Healthcare by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,663,705 shares of the company's stock worth $1,702,738,000 after purchasing an additional 13,565 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at $1,152,408,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 11.9% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,311,112 shares of the company's stock worth $1,078,966,000 after buying an additional 245,887 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In other HCA Healthcare news, SVP Christopher F. Wyatt sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.00, for a total value of $2,020,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 44,379 shares of the company's stock, valued at $22,411,395. This represents a 8.27% 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 S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 30,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,944,194.27. The trade was a 4.76% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 15,214 shares of company stock worth $7,797,595. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This is a positive change from HCA Healthcare's previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. HCA Healthcare's dividend payout ratio is currently 10.15%.

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.