Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Sells 45,456 Shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA reduced its position in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 34.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 88,283 shares of the company’s stock after selling 45,456 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $37,681,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HCA. Sunbelt Securities Inc. raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 171.7% in the first quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 6,242 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,954,000 after acquiring an additional 3,945 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 27.5% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 467,796 shares of the company’s stock worth $221,380,000 after purchasing an additional 100,764 shares in the last quarter. SEB Asset Management AB acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 1st quarter worth $75,534,000. Darsana Capital Partners LP increased its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 46.7% in the 2nd quarter. Darsana Capital Partners LP now owns 1,100,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $428,879,000 after purchasing an additional 350,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fund 1 Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at about $975,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare

In other HCA Healthcare news, EVP Michael J. Schlosser sold 1,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $494.65, for a total transaction of $593,580.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 1,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $713,779.95. This represents a 45.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Erica Rossitto sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $505.81, for a total value of $1,770,335.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 13,426 shares in the company, valued at $6,791,005.06. This trade represents a 20.68% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 36,413 shares of company stock valued at $18,251,464. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

Shares of NYSE HCA opened at $504.27 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $447.20 and its two-hundred day moving average is $445.64. The company has a market capitalization of $105.34 billion, a PE ratio of 16.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.11. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 12-month low of $353.99 and a 12-month high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.65 by $0.57. The business had revenue of $19.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.33 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.61% and a negative return on equity of 198.52%. The company’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $6.96 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be given a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 15th. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is currently 10.34%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HCA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Barclays upped their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $387.00 to $401.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $476.00 price target on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on HCA Healthcare from $496.00 to $521.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $490.00 to $425.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets started coverage on HCA Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, September 22nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $495.00 price objective for the company. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $480.13.

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

HCA Healthcare is a healthcare services company that operates hospitals and other care facilities. Its services include inpatient and outpatient care, emergency treatment, surgery, diagnostic services and specialized care across areas such as cancer and cardiovascular medicine. The company serves patients in the United States and the United Kingdom through its network of hospitals and outpatient facilities, including surgery centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices. Founded in 1968, HCA Healthcare is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.