HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) Stock Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Brokerages

Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-four research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $463.70.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on HCA shares. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on HCA Healthcare from $396.00 to $393.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 27th. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $485.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $450.00 price target on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $558.00 to $485.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $490.00 to $425.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 20th.

HCA Healthcare Trading Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:HCA opened at $433.34 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $93.82 billion, a PE ratio of 14.51, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.10. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $413.05 and a 200-day moving average of $424.51. HCA Healthcare has a 12 month low of $353.99 and a 12 month high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 24th. The company reported $7.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.56 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $20.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.76 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.77% and a negative return on equity of 244.79%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $6.84 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that HCA Healthcare will post 29.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be given a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 16th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.45%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. MidFirst Bank acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. MCF Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 213.0% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 72 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

About HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare, Inc is a provider of healthcare services in the United States. Through its network of hospitals and other healthcare facilities, the company delivers services including emergency and urgent care, surgery, inpatient and outpatient treatment, women’s and children’s care, cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, and behavioral health services.

HCA Healthcare also operates physician practices, ambulatory surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, diagnostic facilities, and other outpatient care sites.