Jefferies Financial Group Issues Positive Forecast for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock Price

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price objective hoisted by Jefferies Financial Group from $535.00 to $590.00 in a report issued on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a buy rating on the stock.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Barclays raised their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $423.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $588.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $558.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, December 29th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $512.43.

HCA Healthcare Trading Down 2.9%

NYSE HCA opened at $491.40 on Wednesday. HCA Healthcare has a 12 month low of $295.00 and a 12 month high of $527.55. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $481.03 and its 200 day moving average is $436.28. The stock has a market cap of $112.13 billion, a PE ratio of 18.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.36.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.37 by $0.64. The firm had revenue of $19.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.67 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.97% and a negative return on equity of 409.11%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $6.22 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.13%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,652,105.73. This trade represents a 52.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

Trending Headlines about HCA Healthcare

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and strong underlying metrics — HCA reported EPS of $8.01 (well above estimates) driven by higher patient volumes and revenue per equivalent admission, a key near-term earnings catalyst. Earnings Release
• Positive Sentiment: Big buyback and dividend increase support shareholder returns — Management added $10 billion to buybacks and raised the quarterly dividend ~8.3%, actions that tighten free float and boost EPS accretion expectations. Dividend/Buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lift price targets and ratings — Several firms bumped targets (Jefferies to $590, Deutsche to $558, RBC to $555, Truist to $546) and reiterated buy/outperform views, providing additional upside signals for investors. Analyst Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: 2026 guidance is constructive but somewhat mixed — Management set FY2026 EPS of $29.10–31.50 (near consensus midpoint) and revenue $76.5B–$80.0B (vs. ~$79.2B consensus), leaving room for upside or downside depending on volumes and cost savings execution. Guidance Release
• Negative Sentiment: Policy headwinds could subtract materially from results — Management warned of a roughly $600M–$1B hit tied to ACA exchange and Medicaid changes (loss of certain tax credits), a tangible downside risk to 2026 cash flow. Policy Headwinds
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin-risk commentary from some analysts — With a robust share rally over the past year, at least one note flagged that margin gains may be peaking and valuation is full, which could cap upside absent further operational beats. Analyst Caution

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.