Leerink Partners Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price target hoisted by investment analysts at Leerink Partners from $470.00 to $507.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Leerink Partners’ target price suggests a potential upside of 4.92% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $423.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Monday, October 27th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $495.00 to $525.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $445.00 to $494.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on HCA Healthcare from $380.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. Fifteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $487.00.

HCA Healthcare Trading Up 0.9%

Shares of HCA stock traded up $4.39 on Thursday, hitting $483.23. 1,079,466 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 948,727. The firm has a market capitalization of $110.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare has a fifty-two week low of $295.00 and a fifty-two week high of $520.00. The business has a 50-day moving average of $480.39 and a 200 day moving average of $429.48.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, October 24th. The company reported $6.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.64 by $1.32. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 792.25% and a net margin of 8.53%.The company had revenue of $19.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.55 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.90 EPS. HCA Healthcare’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2025 guidance at 27.000-28.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare will post 24.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In related news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 3,487 shares in the company, valued at $1,652,105.73. This represents a 52.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Park Place Capital Corp increased its stake in HCA Healthcare by 2,336.0% during the 2nd quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 1,218 shares of the company’s stock valued at $474,000 after purchasing an additional 1,168 shares in the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its position in HCA Healthcare by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 43,920 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,719,000 after acquiring an additional 5,092 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank grew its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 4.3% during the second quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 558,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $214,115,000 after buying an additional 23,100 shares in the last quarter. Cherokee Insurance Co purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the second quarter valued at about $3,869,000. Finally, Harrell Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in HCA Healthcare by 176.3% in the 2nd quarter. Harrell Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,815 shares of the company’s stock valued at $695,000 after buying an additional 1,158 shares during the last quarter. 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.