Robert W. Baird Cuts HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Price Target to $442.00

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price objective reduced by Robert W. Baird from $450.00 to $442.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning,MarketScreener reports. Robert W. Baird currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on HCA. Barclays raised their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $494.00 to $551.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $540.00 to $585.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $555.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $420.00 to $535.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, HCA Healthcare currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $537.36.

HCA Healthcare Trading Up 1.0%

HCA Healthcare stock opened at $487.84 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $510.99 and a 200-day moving average price of $483.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $109.07 billion, a PE ratio of 17.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.36. HCA Healthcare has a 12-month low of $314.43 and a 12-month high of $556.52.

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

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.78 per share. This is a positive change from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.72. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is 10.99%.

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In other HCA Healthcare news, SVP Christopher F. Wyatt sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.00, for a total transaction of $2,020,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 44,379 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,411,395. This trade represents a 8.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total transaction of $747,135.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 30,003 shares in the company, valued at $14,944,194.27. This trade represents a 4.76% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 15,214 shares of company stock worth $7,797,595. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. MCF Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 213.0% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 72 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. 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.