Westpac Banking Corp Boosts Stock Position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. $HCA

Westpac Banking Corp lifted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 2,940.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,252 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 11,849 shares during the period. Westpac Banking Corp’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $5,720,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Palisade Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Holos Integrated Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Ares Financial Consulting LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Aventura Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of HCA opened at $366.77 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $81.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.12. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $449.37 and a 200 day moving average of $480.24. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a twelve month low of $330.00 and a twelve month high of $556.52.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 24th. The company reported $7.15 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $19.11 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.09 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 8.89% and a negative return on equity of 295.93%. HCA Healthcare’s revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $6.45 EPS. HCA Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 29.100-31.500 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 30.07 EPS for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.73%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the stock. Leerink Partners lowered their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $573.00 to $500.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 27th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $551.00 to $496.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 27th. Oppenheimer lowered their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $540.00 to $520.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 27th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $442.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $535.00 to $490.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $515.77.

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

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.