HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Price Target Raised to $409.00

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its price objective hoisted by Robert W. Baird from $393.00 to $409.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts have also commented on HCA. Jefferies Financial Group set a $450.00 price target on HCA Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group cut 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. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $476.00 price objective on HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday, July 27th. Raymond James Financial set a $528.00 price objective on HCA Healthcare in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $500.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $475.70.

HCA Healthcare Trading Down 1.1%

NYSE:HCA opened at $472.94 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $102.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.10. HCA Healthcare has a twelve month low of $353.99 and a twelve month high of $556.52. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $437.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $444.90.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 27th. The company reported $7.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $6.65 by $0.57. The company had revenue of $19.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.33 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.61% and a negative return on equity of 198.52%. HCA Healthcare’s revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $6.96 EPS. On average, analysts expect that HCA Healthcare will post 30.16 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 15th will be issued a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 15th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is currently 10.45%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HCA. Covestor Ltd lifted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 29.3% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 256 shares of the company’s stock valued at $109,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in HCA Healthcare by 24.0% in the 3rd quarter. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $582,000 after purchasing an additional 264 shares in the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 3.2% during the third quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 99,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,524,000 after purchasing an additional 3,050 shares during the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in HCA Healthcare by 5.8% during the third quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. now owns 26,949 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,632,000 after purchasing an additional 1,480 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Markel Group Inc. boosted its position in HCA Healthcare by 0.7% during the third quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 84,972 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,261,000 after purchasing an additional 606 shares in the last quarter. 62.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting HCA Healthcare

Here are the key news stories impacting HCA Healthcare this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its HCA price target from $496 to $521 and reaffirmed an “outperform” rating, implying roughly 10% upside from the referenced trading level. Royal Bank of Canada analyst action
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen increased its price target for HCA Healthcare, adding to the series of favorable analyst revisions following the company’s latest results. TD Cowen price target article
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp also boosted its HCA price target, reinforcing Wall Street’s constructive view of the hospital operator. KeyCorp price target article
• Positive Sentiment: Robert W. Baird raised its target as well, suggesting analysts see further value after HCA’s quarterly earnings beat. Robert W. Baird price target article
• Positive Sentiment: HCA said 102 hospitals received Healthgrades recognition for specialty-care excellence, potentially supporting the company’s reputation, patient demand and competitive positioning. Healthgrades recognition announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: HCA HealthONE agreed to pay $14.5 million for a Wheat Ridge retail center and plans to develop a medical park. The project could expand local capacity, but its financial contribution and execution timeline remain uncertain. Wheat Ridge medical park article
• Neutral Sentiment: A St. David’s HealthCare CEO plans to retire in March, creating a leadership transition within an HCA-affiliated system. St. David’s CEO retirement article
• Negative Sentiment: Pomerantz LLP announced an investigation into potential claims on behalf of HCA investors. The announcement does not establish wrongdoing, but adds legal and headline risk that can pressure the stock. Pomerantz investor investigation announcement

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

HCA Healthcare, Inc is a healthcare services company that operates hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, emergency care facilities, physician practices and other healthcare sites. Its facilities provide a broad range of services, including acute and emergency care, surgery, cardiology, oncology, women’s and children’s services, behavioral health and outpatient care.

The company serves patients primarily across the United States through a network of healthcare facilities in numerous states.