HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-three ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $462.6364.

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen dropped their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $431.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Barclays lowered their target price on HCA Healthcare from $402.00 to $387.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $450.00 price target on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $476.00 price target on HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, July 27th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. MidFirst Bank acquired a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Clearstead Trust LLC acquired a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

NYSE:HCA opened at $409.84 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $88.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.72, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.10. HCA Healthcare has a 1-year low of $353.99 and a 1-year high of $556.52. The company’s 50-day moving average is $403.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $437.77.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 24th. The company reported $7.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $7.56 by $0.03. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 244.79% and a net margin of 8.77%.The business had revenue of $20.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.84 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare will post 29.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 16th will be given a $0.78 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 16th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.45%.

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.