HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided EPS guidance of 29.100-31.500 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 29.540. The company issued revenue guidance of $76.5 billion-$80.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $79.2 billion.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. Raymond James Financial set a $525.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Stephens raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. UBS Group increased their price target on HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $598.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lowered HCA Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and set a $425.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $588.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $512.43.

HCA Healthcare Trading Down 2.9%

Shares of HCA Healthcare stock opened at $491.40 on Thursday. HCA Healthcare has a 12 month low of $295.00 and a 12 month high of $527.55. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $481.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $436.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $112.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.36.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The company reported $8.01 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.37 by $0.64. The business 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 revenue was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $6.22 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. Analysts predict that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Key HCA Healthcare News

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

Institutional Trading of HCA Healthcare

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HCA. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. grew its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 55.7% in the 3rd quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 358 shares of the company’s stock worth $153,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the period. Finally, PharVision Advisers LLC bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter worth about $204,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

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.