HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, owns and operates hospitals and related healthcare entities. Valued at $120.9 billion by market cap, the company provides diagnosis, treatments, consultancy, nursing, surgeries, and other services, as well as medical education, physician resource center, and training programs.
Companies worth $10 billion or more are generally described as “large-cap stocks,” and HCA definitely fits that description, with its market cap exceeding this threshold, reflecting its substantial size, influence, and dominance in the medical care facilities industry. HCA's strengths include its scale, cost leadership, and diversified portfolio. With a strong presence in high-growth states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, HCA leverages favorable demographics and growing healthcare demand. Its brand recognition fosters patient trust, and innovation through tech partnerships and digital health investments drives growth. HCA prioritizes talent management, positioning itself for long-term success in value-based care and telehealth trends.
Despite its notable strength, HCA slipped 4.9% from its 52-week high of $552.90, achieved on Feb. 12. Over the past three months, HCA stock gained 2.2%, outperforming iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF’s (IHF) 7.4% dip during the same time frame.
Shares of HCA rose 12.6% on a YTD basis and climbed 64.4% over the past 52 weeks, outperforming IHF’s YTD losses of 4.5% and 9.1% over the last year.
To confirm the bullish trend, HCA has been trading above its 50-day moving average over the past year, experiencing some fluctuations. The stock has been trading above its 200-day moving average since early May, 2025, with slight fluctuations.
HCA’s strong performance is driven by sustained volume growth, disciplined expense management, and strategic investments in network expansion and clinical capabilities. The company achieved its 19th consecutive quarter of growth, with steady increases in admissions and patient encounters. Outpatient revenue growth is outpacing inpatient, with a robust pipeline for acquisitions.
On Jan. 27, HCA shares closed up more than 7% after reporting its Q4 results. Its adjusted EPS of $8.01 exceeded Wall Street expectations of $7.36. The company’s revenue was $19.5 billion, falling short of Wall Street forecasts of $19.6 billion. HCA expects full-year EPS to be $29.10 to $31.50, and revenue in the range of $76.5 billion to $80 billion.
In the competitive arena of medical care facilities, Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) has taken the lead over HCA, showing resilience with a 20.6% uptick on a YTD basis and a 81.9% gain over the past 52 weeks.
Wall Street analysts are reasonably bullish on HCA’s prospects. The stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from the 25 analysts covering it, and the mean price target of $543.10 suggests a potential upside of 3.3% from current price levels.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
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