HCA Healthcare (HCA) to Release Earnings on Friday

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) will likely be issuing its quarterly earnings results before the market opens on Friday, January 24th. Analysts expect the company to announce earnings of $6.03 per share and revenue of $18,234,322.79 billion for the quarter. Parties that wish to register for the company’s conference call can do so using this link.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

Shares of HCA opened at $319.53 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.64. HCA Healthcare has a 1 year low of $278.68 and a 1 year high of $417.14. The company’s fifty day moving average is $315.10 and its two-hundred day moving average is $353.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 48.71, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.12.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 13th were given a $0.66 dividend. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 13th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is currently 11.85%.

Insider Activity at HCA Healthcare

In other news, SVP Phillip G. Billington sold 3,897 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.00, for a total transaction of $1,363,950.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 52,702 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,445,700. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Erol R. Akdamar sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $353.00, for a total value of $1,023,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 6,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,415,579. This represents a 29.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $396.00 to $392.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 8th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $390.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $392.00 price target on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $406.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $380.00 price target on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $385.27.

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

HCA Healthcare, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates hospitals and related healthcare entities in the United States. It operates general and acute care hospitals that offers medical and surgical services, including inpatient care, intensive care, cardiac care, diagnostic, and emergency services; and outpatient services, such as outpatient surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, cardiology, and physical therapy.