Bank of Nova Scotia Acquires 12,749 Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Bank of Nova Scotia raised its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 50.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 38,031 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,749 shares during the quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $17,998,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth $1,021,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in HCA Healthcare by 11.9% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,859 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,334,000 after buying an additional 409 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 5.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock worth $241,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the second quarter valued at about $2,073,000. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 56.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 136,589 shares of the company’s stock worth $52,328,000 after purchasing an additional 49,214 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on HCA. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $588.00 to $525.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $535.00 to $490.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on HCA Healthcare from $540.00 to $520.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Argus reduced their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $560.00 to $500.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Fourteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $483.45.

HCA Healthcare Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of NYSE:HCA opened at $382.28 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $84.80 billion, a PE ratio of 12.80, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.12. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 12-month low of $330.00 and a 12-month high of $556.52. The business has a 50 day moving average of $386.95 and a two-hundred day moving average of $453.73.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last posted its earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The company reported $7.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.56 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $20.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.76 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.89% and a negative return on equity of 295.93%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $6.84 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 29.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key HCA Healthcare News

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

• Positive Sentiment: HCA beat Q2 earnings estimates, reporting $7.59 per share versus expectations around $7.56-$7.57, while revenue rose 8.7% year over year to $20.23 billion and also topped estimates. HCA Healthcare earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Management cited strong admissions and higher revenue per admission as key drivers of the quarter, suggesting healthy demand trends across its hospital network. Zacks article on HCA Q2 results
• Neutral Sentiment: HCA said its updated guidance is consistent with its earlier preview, so the quarter appears to confirm previously signaled results rather than deliver a major surprise. BusinessWire Q2 results
• Negative Sentiment: The company trimmed parts of its 2026 outlook, pointing to higher expenses and weaker surgical volumes as headwinds that could limit margin expansion. Zacks guidance revision article
• Negative Sentiment: Separate investor-law-firm investigations into HCA may add some legal overhang, though these notices are not operational results. Pomerantz investor alert

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.