Royal Bank Of Canada Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its target price upped by equities research analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $525.00 to $555.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s target price indicates a potential upside of 14.73% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. 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 report on Wednesday, January 7th. Raymond James Financial set a $525.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, October 27th. Bank of America raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $430.00 to $470.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $470.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald increased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $588.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Fifteen research 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 data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $509.81.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

Shares of HCA traded down $22.09 on Wednesday, reaching $483.76. The stock had a trading volume of 620,669 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,086,955. The firm has a market capitalization of $110.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare has a 12-month low of $295.00 and a 12-month high of $527.55. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $480.84 and a 200-day simple moving average of $435.90.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.37 by $0.64. The company had revenue of $19.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 792.25% and a net margin of 8.53%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $6.22 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, analysts expect that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $473.79, for a total value of $1,843,990.68. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 3,487 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,652,105.73. This trade represents a 52.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in HCA Healthcare by 172.0% in the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 23,253 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,856,000 after purchasing an additional 14,703 shares during the period. OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the fourth quarter worth $273,000. Optas LLC boosted its position in HCA Healthcare by 32.1% during the fourth quarter. Optas LLC now owns 1,004 shares of the company’s stock valued at $469,000 after purchasing an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. SageGuard Financial Group LLC bought a new position in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth about $4,576,000. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 129.6% in the 4th quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 3,379 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,578,000 after buying an additional 1,907 shares during the last quarter. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key HCA Healthcare News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and solid fundamentals — HCA reported EPS of $8.01, well above expectations, driven by strong patient volumes and higher revenue per admission. This underpins confidence in underlying demand. Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Big buyback announced — HCA added $10 billion to its share repurchase program, a clear capital-return commitment that supports EPS and equity valuation. $10B Buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase — HCA raised its quarterly dividend by 8.3%, signaling confidence in cash flow and returning more capital to shareholders. Dividend Raise
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades/price-target increases — Deutsche Bank and Truist raised price targets (to $558 and $546 respectively) and maintain buy ratings, providing a near-term bullish signal. Analyst PT Raises
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 guidance is mixed — HCA gave EPS guidance of $29.10–$31.50 (around Street estimates) and revenue guidance of $76.5B–$80B (slightly wide of consensus), leaving room for interpretation on growth vs. margin trajectory. Guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Operational efficiency targets — Management highlighted a $400M cost-savings plan and resiliency initiatives intended to offset pressures; execution will determine impact. Cost Savings
• Negative Sentiment: Policy headwinds — HCA flagged potential hits from ACA exchange premium tax credit and Medicaid changes (reports cite $600M–$1B+ impact), creating uncertainty for 2026 cash flow. Policy Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed Street in Q4 — Revenue was modestly below consensus, which, combined with policy risks, may weigh on near-term growth expectations. Revenue Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation/peak-margin concerns — Some analysts caution margins and buyback-fueled EPS gains may be approaching a peak, arguing valuation now fully reflects much of the upside. Valuation Risks

About HCA Healthcare

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.