Nashville, Tennessee-based HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) is a healthcare services company that owns and operates a broad network of hospitals, surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, and urgent care clinics. Valued at a market cap of $107.7 billion, the company is scheduled to announce its fiscal Q4 earnings for 2025 in the near future.
Before this event, analysts expect this healthcare giant to report a profit of $7.37 per share, up 18.5% from $6.22 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has surpassed Wall Street’s bottom-line estimates in each of the last four quarters. Its earnings of $6.96 per share in the previous quarter exceeded the forecasted figure by a notable margin of 23.2%.
For the current fiscal year, ending in December, analysts expect HCA to report a profit of $27.60 per share, up 25.7% from $21.96 per share in fiscal 2024. Its EPS is expected to further grow 7.5% year-over-year to $29.66 in fiscal 2026.
Shares of HCA have surged 55.5% over the past 52 weeks, notably outpacing both the S&P 500 Index's ($SPX) 16% return and the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLV) 12.5% uptick over the same time period.
On Oct. 24, shares of HCA soared 1.6% after its better-than-expected Q3 earnings release. The company’s total revenue increased 9.6% year-over-year to $19.2 billion, surpassing consensus expectations by 3.6%. Moreover, its adjusted EPS improved 42% from the year-ago quarter to $6.96, handily exceeding analyst estimates of $5.65. Noting this solid momentum, HCA also raised its fiscal 2025 guidance, now expecting revenue to be in the range of $75 billion to $76.5 billion, and EPS to be between $27 and $28.
Wall Street analysts are moderately optimistic about HCA’s stock, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among 25 analysts covering the stock, 14 recommend "Strong Buy," one indicates a "Moderate Buy,” nine suggest "Hold,” and one advises a “Strong Sell” rating. The mean price target for HCA is $486.41, indicating a 3% potential upside from the current levels.
On the date of publication, Neharika Jain 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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