HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA Stock: Danske Bank A S Reduces Stake

Danske Bank A S cut its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 12.6% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 262,101 shares of the company’s stock after selling 37,621 shares during the quarter. Danske Bank A S’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $111,849,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 24.7% in the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 111 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 0.7% during the third quarter. Beacon Capital Management LLC now owns 3,631 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,550,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 806 shares of the company’s stock worth $378,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the period. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC grew its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Gryphon Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,798 shares of the company’s stock worth $767,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. Finally, AdvisorNet Financial Inc increased its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 994 shares of the company’s stock valued at $468,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

Top HCA Healthcare Stories

Investors following HCA have been watching these stories:

• Positive Sentiment: Value-focused articles describe HCA as a reasonably valued healthcare stock with long-term earnings-growth potential, supported by hospital demand and its scale. One analysis notes its valuation is below the sector median. Why HCA Healthcare is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Negative Sentiment: Medicaid policy is a risk to earnings: HCA expects $550 million to $650 million less in Medicaid supplemental payment benefits in 2027, potentially adding reimbursement pressure. Value stocks offer a different path forward
• Negative Sentiment: A senior vice president reportedly sold about $1.77 million in HCA shares. Insider sales can weigh on sentiment, although a sale alone does not establish a negative outlook. Insider selling at HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare Stock Down 0.4%

HCA traded down $1.84 during trading on Friday, hitting $498.82. The company had a trading volume of 971,100 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,447,928. The company has a market capitalization of $104.20 billion, a PE ratio of 16.53, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.11. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a one year low of $353.99 and a one year high of $556.52. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $452.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $445.91.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.65 by $0.57. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 198.52% and a net margin of 8.61%. The firm had revenue of $19.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.96 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.14 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Investors 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 yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 15th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.34%.

Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare

In other news, SVP Erica Rossitto sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.81, for a total transaction of $1,770,335.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 13,426 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,791,005.06. This trade represents a 20.68% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael J. Schlosser sold 1,200 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 1,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $713,779.95. This represents a 45.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 36,413 shares of company stock valued at $18,251,464. 1.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on HCA. Wall Street Zen raised shares of HCA Healthcare from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 31st. Leerink Partners reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $492.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Friday, September 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $490.00 to $425.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 20th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $425.00 to $380.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $635.00 to $579.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, July 27th. 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $480.13.

About HCA Healthcare

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.