Jefferies Financial Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price objective raised by investment analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $525.00 to $535.00 in a report issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 13.70% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $400.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Stephens upped their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on HCA Healthcare from $423.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $445.00 to $494.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on HCA Healthcare from $495.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $488.75.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 0.9%

NYSE HCA opened at $470.52 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $480.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $433.53. The company has a market capitalization of $107.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare has a 52 week low of $295.00 and a 52 week high of $520.00.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last released its earnings results on Friday, October 24th. The company reported $6.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.64 by $1.32. The company had revenue of $19.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.55 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.53% and a negative return on equity of 792.25%. The firm’s revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $4.90 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $473.79, for a total transaction of $1,843,990.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,652,105.73. This trade represents a 52.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 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 the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at $1,152,408,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 6,115.3% during the third quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 911,096 shares of the company’s stock worth $388,309,000 after purchasing an additional 896,437 shares during the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP lifted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 58.5% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 1,872,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $717,214,000 after buying an additional 690,773 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $109,337,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter worth about $115,530,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

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.