Hca Healthcare Inc

HCA operates acute care hospitals and outpatient facilities across high-growth markets in the United States, generating revenue primarily through patient admissions, surgeries, and emergency services. The company owns and manages over 180 hospitals plus hundreds of freestanding surgery centers, urgent care clinics, and physician practices. HCA makes money through reimbursements from commercial insurers, government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and direct patient payments. Its scale enables operational efficiencies and negotiating leverage with payers and suppliers.

HCA benefits from strong market positions in growing Sun Belt metropolitan areas with favorable demographics and limited competition. The company generates robust cash flows, maintains disciplined capital allocation, and has demonstrated ability to navigate complex healthcare reimbursement environments. However, risks include regulatory changes to Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, labor cost inflation particularly for nurses, and potential economic downturns affecting patient volumes and payer mix. The stock typically trades at moderate valuations reflecting steady growth.

HCA competes with other large hospital operators including Tenet Healthcare, which operates acute care and specialty hospitals, and Universal Health Services, focused on acute care and behavioral health. Regional health systems like AdventHealth and Ascension, which are non-profit networks, compete in many of HCA's markets. The company also faces competition from specialty surgical centers and outpatient clinics seeking to capture less complex procedures.

HCA pays a quarterly dividend yielding approximately 0.61%, reflecting a balanced approach to capital allocation that includes dividends, share buybacks, and facility investments. The company has increased its dividend periodically while prioritizing share repurchases as a primary method of returning capital. HCA maintains moderate dividend payouts to preserve financial flexibility for acquisitions, capital expenditures on medical technology, and managing its leveraged balance sheet typical of hospital operators.

HCA last closed at $484.02, down 0.35% in the most recent trading session. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded between a low of $314.43 and a high of $556.52. The current price represents 70% of its 52-week range, which helps investors gauge where the stock sits relative to its recent trading history.

Among 31 analysts covering HCA, the consensus rating is Buy — 18 rate it a buy, 12 hold, and 1 sell. The average price target sits at $118.82, implying 75% downside from the current price. Keep in mind that analyst targets reflect 12-month expectations and can shift quickly after earnings reports or major company events.

Hca Healthcare Inc generated $71.42B in revenue during fiscal year 2026, with $6.41B reaching the bottom line as net income. The net profit margin of 9.0% reflects the competitive nature of its industry.

HCA trades at a P/E ratio of 16.47 on trailing earnings of $28.38 per share. That's roughly in line with the broader market average of ~20-25x. Comparing this multiple against Health Care sector peers gives better context than the broad market alone, since P/E norms vary significantly across industries.

Performance varies across timeframes, reflecting shifting market conditions. Returns by timeframe: +1.44% (3M), +14.99% (6M), +43.50% (1Y), +2.90% (YTD). Comparing these figures against the S&P 500 and sector benchmarks helps determine whether HCA is outperforming or lagging the broader market.