Royal Bank Of Canada Cuts HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Price Target to $534.00

27 Apr 2026, 10:44 by Scott Moore · The Cerbat Gem

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA – Get Free Report) had its target price lowered by investment analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $593.00 to $534.00 in a research note issued on Monday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price target points to a potential upside of 22.29% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on HCA. Argus boosted their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $530.00 to $560.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $546.00 to $535.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Oppenheimer raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Wall Street Zen downgraded HCA Healthcare from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $436.00 target price on HCA Healthcare in a research note on Monday. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, HCA Healthcare currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $521.73.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on HCA

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 1.0%

HCA opened at $436.68 on Monday. HCA Healthcare has a fifty-two week low of $326.14 and a fifty-two week high of $556.52. The firm has a market cap of $97.63 billion, a PE ratio of 15.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.36. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $505.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $485.81.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $7.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.19 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $19.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.09 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.89% and a negative return on equity of 295.93%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $6.45 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare will post 30.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at HCA Healthcare

In other HCA Healthcare news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 1,694 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $533.37, for a total value of $903,528.78. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 8,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,721,924.61. The trade was a 16.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total transaction of $747,135.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 30,003 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,944,194.27. The trade was a 4.76% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 15,214 shares of company stock valued at $7,797,595 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in HCA. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. MCF Advisors LLC grew its stake in HCA Healthcare by 213.0% in the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 72 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

Key HCA Healthcare News

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

Positive Sentiment: Truist cut its price target modestly from $546 to $535 but kept a “buy” rating, implying continuing analyst confidence and a meaningful upside vs. current levels. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: HCA management reaffirmed FY2026 guidance and downplayed Q1 volume disruptions, signaling confidence in hitting full-year targets despite headwinds. Article Title
Positive Sentiment: HCA continues to expand capacity locally — HCA Florida Gainesville Hospital is preparing to begin serving patients in May, supporting organic growth and local revenue expansion. Article Title
Neutral Sentiment: HCA Inc. proposed a public offering of senior notes to raise proceeds for general corporate purposes and possible debt repayment — typical capital markets activity but could slightly change leverage depending on deal sizing and terms. Article Title
Neutral Sentiment: Company projects 2%–3% volume growth while maintaining 2026 outlook, but flags a $600M–$900M headwind tied to ACA/exchange dynamics — growth outlook is intact but offset by payer mix risks. Article Title
Negative Sentiment: Analysts and coverage note a meaningful ACA-related revenue drag — HCA still expects up to a $900M hit from exchange/ACA headwinds, which pressures margins and near-term EPS. Article Title
Negative Sentiment: Deep-dive pieces highlight lower seasonal volumes and a shifting payer mix that weighed on Q1 and investor sentiment, providing context for recent share weakness. Article Title
Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets explain why shares slid after Q1 results and commentary — the combination of seasonal softness, payer shifts and ACA exposure is the main driver of negative near-term sentiment. Article Title

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

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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.