HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Truist Financial Analyst Says

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price objective upped by research analysts at Truist Financial from $520.00 to $546.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Truist Financial’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 13.38% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $430.00 to $470.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $431.00 to $452.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded HCA Healthcare from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $512.43.

HCA Healthcare Trading Down 2.0%

NYSE:HCA opened at $481.58 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $481.14 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $436.60. The company has a market cap of $109.89 billion, a PE 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 data on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.37 by $0.64. The company had revenue of $19.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.67 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.HCA Healthcare’s revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $6.22 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. 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 stock was 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 directly owned 3,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,652,105.73. This represents a 52.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HCA. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Chung Wu Investment Group LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Clearstead Trust LLC lifted its position in HCA Healthcare by 311.8% in the second quarter. Clearstead Trust LLC now owns 70 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

More HCA Healthcare News

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.