HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Analyst Says

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its target price upped by investment analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $500.00 to $558.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 15.87% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on HCA. Zacks Research lowered shares of HCA Healthcare from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 27th. Mizuho upped their price target on HCA Healthcare from $505.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $546.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $503.00 price target on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $423.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Fifteen equities research 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.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $512.43.

HCA Healthcare Trading Down 2.0%

NYSE:HCA opened at $481.58 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $481.14 and a two-hundred day moving average of $436.60. The firm has a market cap of $109.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare has a 12 month low of $295.00 and a 12 month high of $527.55.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 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 firm had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.67 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $6.22 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $473.79, for a total transaction of $1,843,990.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HCA. Capital World Investors boosted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 4,959,336 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,113,662,000 after acquiring an additional 179,443 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,152,408,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,065,225 shares of the company’s stock worth $880,199,000 after buying an additional 36,414 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP grew its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 58.5% in the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 1,872,133 shares of the company’s stock worth $717,214,000 after acquiring an additional 690,773 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc boosted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 0.8% in the third quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 1,124,511 shares of the company’s stock valued at $479,267,000 after purchasing an additional 8,478 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and stronger capital actions — HCA reported $8.01 EPS (above estimates), raised 2026 guidance and outlined a $10B share buyback, supporting medium‑term earnings power. HCA Healthcare Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Results and Provides 2026 Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are upping targets — multiple brokers (Jefferies, RBC, Deutsche Bank, Truist) raised price targets and reiterated buy/outperform views after the quarter, suggesting upside remains for the shares. Analyst price target raises
• Positive Sentiment: Quality recognition: Healthgrades accolades — 44 HCA hospitals made Healthgrades’ lists, including three among America’s 50 Best Hospitals, a boost to reputation and referral strength. HCA Healthcare Hospitals Named on America’s 50 Best Hospitals List for 2026 by Healthgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Outpatient expansion and M&A optionality — HCA is accelerating outpatient growth and sees more acquisition opportunities, which supports margin expansion and revenue diversification. HCA ramps up outpatient growth, sees more acquisition opportunities
• Positive Sentiment: Local expansion: more urgent care/ER footprint — HCA is opening additional ER capacity in Southwest Florida, signaling continued local market growth. HCA building ER south of Fort Myers but what happened to hospital?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst narrative shifting — coverage pieces note a shifting story post‑reset as investors re‑weigh growth vs. policy risk; this could reprice expectations but isn’t a clear directional catalyst. Why Analysts See The Story Shifting For HCA Healthcare (HCA) After Target Reset
• Negative Sentiment: Policy and reimbursement risk — HCA flagged exposure to federal policy changes and potential reimbursement headwinds that could pressure near‑term margins. HCA Healthcare braces for impacts as federal policy shifts take hold
• Negative Sentiment: ACA exchange impact — management disclosed a $600M–$900M headwind from ACA exchanges for 2026, a meaningful near‑term drag even as guidance remains constructive. HCA Healthcare unveils bullish 2026 guidance despite $600M-$900M ACA exchanges hit
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed estimates — revenue for the quarter was a touch below Street estimates, which may have prompted profit‑taking after recent gains. HCA: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

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.