HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Announces Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.04 EPS
by Teresa Graham · The Cerbat GemHCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA – Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Friday. The company reported $7.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($0.04), Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $19.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.09 billion. HCA Healthcare had a negative return on equity of 409.11% and a net margin of 8.97%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $6.45 earnings per share. HCA Healthcare updated its FY 2026 guidance to 29.100-31.500 EPS.
HCA Healthcare Stock Down 7.9%
NYSE HCA traded down $37.23 during trading on Friday, hitting $436.80. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,991,794 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,084,338. HCA Healthcare has a 52 week low of $321.39 and a 52 week high of $556.52. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $507.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $485.06. The firm has a market cap of $97.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.36.
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 issued a $0.78 dividend. This is an increase 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 0.7%. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is 10.99%.
Key Headlines Impacting HCA Healthcare
Here are the key news stories impacting HCA Healthcare this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Strong demand and profit commentary: Reuters reports HCA beat quarterly profit-view expectations on robust demand for medical services, which supports near-term cash flow and operating leverage. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Revenue and net income growth: HCA reported Q1 revenue up 4.3% to $19.109B and net income modestly higher year‑over‑year, showing demand resilience across its hospital network. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Analyst activity ahead of results: Some analysts revised forecasts into the quarter (pre-earnings activity), reflecting expectations volatility but not a clear directional catalyst by itself. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: Investor focus on volume and margins: Previews noted that volume and margin trends would drive reaction — the quarter provides data but leaves questions about margin sustainability. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Slight EPS miss: HCA reported EPS of $7.15 for Q1, a small miss versus the Zacks/consensus (around $7.17–$7.19), which disappointed some short‑term traders despite year‑over‑year EPS growth. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Cautious FY‑2026 guidance range: Management set FY‑26 EPS guidance of $29.10–$31.50 and revenue guidance of $76.5B–$80.0B; the wide range (and a midpoint roughly in line or slightly below some street models) left investors wary about visibility into margins and volumes. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Balance-sheet/metric flags: Commentary and data releases highlighted a negative return on equity metric and a modest net margin, which some investors view as a structural concern tied to capital allocation (large buybacks/dividends). Press Release
Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare
In other news, SVP Jennifer Berres sold 8,020 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $514.58, for a total transaction of $4,126,931.60. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 11,993 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,171,357.94. The trade was a 40.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 1,500 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $498.09, for a total value of $747,135.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 30,003 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,944,194.27. This trade represents a 4.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 15,214 shares of company stock valued at $7,797,595. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of HCA Healthcare
Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Viking Global Investors LP raised its position in HCA Healthcare by 58.5% in the second quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 1,872,133 shares of the company’s stock worth $717,214,000 after purchasing an additional 690,773 shares in the last quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI raised its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 3,755.9% in the 3rd quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI now owns 269,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $115,036,000 after buying an additional 262,912 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 83.3% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 399,197 shares of the company’s stock valued at $169,951,000 after buying an additional 181,464 shares in the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in HCA Healthcare by 421.4% during the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 219,276 shares of the company’s stock worth $102,371,000 after acquiring an additional 177,223 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abdiel Capital Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 35.5% in the 2nd quarter. Abdiel Capital Advisors LP now owns 646,222 shares of the company’s stock worth $247,568,000 after purchasing an additional 169,201 shares during the last quarter. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
HCA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of HCA Healthcare from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 14th. Oppenheimer raised their price target 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. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $529.00 to $561.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. UBS Group upped their price target on HCA Healthcare from $598.00 to $635.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $555.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $537.36.
View Our Latest Research Report on HCA
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.