The Goldman Sachs Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) Stock

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) had its target price increased by equities research analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $520.00 to $558.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price indicates a potential upside of 15.82% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on HCA. Mizuho raised their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $505.00 to $520.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $520.00 to $546.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $525.00 to $598.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $500.00 to $540.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Leerink Partners upped their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $507.00 to $573.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $518.76.

HCA Healthcare Price Performance

Shares of HCA stock traded down $0.73 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $481.80. 19,542 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,101,804. HCA Healthcare has a 52-week low of $295.00 and a 52-week high of $527.55. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $481.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $436.60. The stock has a market cap of $109.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.98, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.36.

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

Insider Transactions at HCA Healthcare

In other HCA Healthcare news, EVP Michael R. Mcalevey sold 3,892 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $473.79, for a total transaction of $1,843,990.68. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,652,105.73. The trade was a 52.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the fourth quarter worth about $1,021,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 11.9% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,859 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,334,000 after acquiring an additional 409 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 5.5% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 630 shares of the company’s stock valued at $241,000 after acquiring an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its stake in HCA Healthcare by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 14,633 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,606,000 after purchasing an additional 636 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at about $234,000. 62.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key HCA Healthcare News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and raised guidance — HCA reported $8.01 EPS vs. $7.37 expected and set FY2026 guidance of $29.10–$31.50, which pushed shares higher on the earnings gap-up. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and material price-target increases — Multiple firms raised targets (Jefferies to $590, Deutsche Bank to $558, RBC to $555, Truist to $546), signaling investor confidence in HCA’s outlook and amplifying buy-side momentum. Article Title Article Title Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic push into outpatient and acquisition opportunities — Management is accelerating outpatient growth and pursuing bolt-on acquisitions and freestanding sites to capture lower-cost volumes and expand margins. Article Title Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Quality recognition — Several HCA hospitals were named on Healthgrades’ America’s Best Hospitals lists, supporting brand/market positioning and potentially helping referrals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts say the “story is shifting” — Commentary highlights changing drivers after the target resets (mix of margin leverage from outpatient vs. near-term headwinds); useful for framing expectations but not an immediate directional catalyst. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Local market activity and freestanding ER growth — HCA’s build-out (e.g., ER south of Fort Myers) and other Florida health systems breaking ground on freestanding EDs signal both expansion opportunities and intensifying local competition. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Federal policy shifts could create headwinds — Management is monitoring potential reimbursement and regulatory changes that could pressure margins or utilization; this is a risk to watch despite the upbeat near-term tone. Article Title

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.