HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Shares Gap Up on Strong Earnings

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $472.38, but opened at $505.00. HCA Healthcare shares last traded at $517.5850, with a volume of 746,310 shares traded.

The company reported $8.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 firm had revenue of $19.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $6.22 EPS. HCA Healthcare’s 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.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date 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 presently 11.13%.

More HCA Healthcare News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and strong underlying metrics — HCA reported EPS of $8.01 (well above estimates) driven by higher patient volumes and revenue per equivalent admission, a key near-term earnings catalyst. Earnings Release
• Positive Sentiment: Big buyback and dividend increase support shareholder returns — Management added $10 billion to buybacks and raised the quarterly dividend ~8.3%, actions that tighten free float and boost EPS accretion expectations. Dividend/Buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lift price targets and ratings — Several firms bumped targets (Jefferies to $590, Deutsche to $558, RBC to $555, Truist to $546) and reiterated buy/outperform views, providing additional upside signals for investors. Analyst Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 guidance is constructive but somewhat mixed — Management set FY2026 EPS of $29.10–31.50 (near consensus midpoint) and revenue $76.5B–$80.0B (vs. ~$79.2B consensus), leaving room for upside or downside depending on volumes and cost savings execution. Guidance Release
• Negative Sentiment: Policy headwinds could subtract materially from results — Management warned of a roughly $600M–$1B hit tied to ACA exchange and Medicaid changes (loss of certain tax credits), a tangible downside risk to 2026 cash flow. Policy Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin-risk commentary from some analysts — With a robust share rally over the past year, at least one note flagged that margin gains may be peaking and valuation is full, which could cap upside absent further operational beats. Analyst Caution

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HCA has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Leerink Partners lifted their price target on HCA Healthcare from $470.00 to $507.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. TD Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Wednesday. Stephens boosted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $546.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Fifteen 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $512.43.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other HCA Healthcare news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $473.79, for a total value of $1,843,990.68. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 3,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,652,105.73. The trade was a 52.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Chung Wu Investment Group LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Clearstead Trust LLC boosted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 311.8% during the 2nd quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 70 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare Stock Down 2.9%

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $481.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $436.28. The company has a market capitalization of $112.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.99, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.36.

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.