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HCA Healthcare, Inc.

HCA · NYSE

Market closed$371.18$-14.56 (-3.77%)After hours $373.60 · +0.65%

Key statistics

Previous close$385.74
Open$384.68
Day high$386.00
Day low$371.17
52-week high$556.52
52-week low$330.00
Market cap82.34B
Volume1.24M
Average volume1.63M
P/E ratio12.82
Forward P/E—
EPS28.96
Dividend yield+0.81%

Market context

Why it moved

HCA Healthcare shares declined sharply after the company flagged softer surgical demand and a rise in uninsured patients tied to the expiration of pandemic-era ACA subsidies, a concern amplified by Intuitive Surgical's warning that changes to Obamacare plans could further dampen procedure volumes across the healthcare sector.

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What is happening

Recent company-specific developments and publisher coverage.

July 18, 2026HCA Healthcare shares declined amid continued fallout from its July 14 preliminary Q2 earnings release, in which the company slashed its 2026 guidance after a $400 million hit from patients losing ACA exchange coverage drove an unfavorable payer mix shift — with the full-year headwind now estimated at $1.0–$1.2 billion. Analysts trimmed price targets, including Barclays lowering to $402 (equal-weight) and Wells Fargo cutting to $428, while the broader healthcare sector faced pressure from ACA and Medicaid enrollment declines reported across insurers. In after-hours trade, shares partially recovered, edging up ~0.65%, as UnitedHealth's strong Q2 beat and raised guidance offered some sector reassurance.

-3.7746

July 17, 2026HCA Healthcare shares rose nearly 2% on Thursday, recovering ground after the stock was battered earlier in the week when the company slashed its 2026 EPS guidance to $28.70–$30.50 (from $29.10–$31.50), citing a surge in uninsured patients losing ACA exchange coverage that hit Q2 pre-tax income by ~$400 million. The rebound was aided by a strong sector tailwind as UnitedHealth Group surged over 4% after blowing past Q2 estimates and raising its full-year guidance, signaling that managed care cost pressures may be easing. However, Barclays further cut its HCA price target to $402 from $427, and in after-hours trade shares gave back some gains, slipping ~1.5%, as investors weigh the unresolved payer mix headwinds ahead of HCA's official Q2 earnings report on July 24.

1.8187

July 16, 2026HCA Healthcare shares rebounded sharply, recovering a significant portion of the prior session's steep selloff after the company released preliminary Q2 results and slashed its 2026 EPS guidance to $28.70–$30.50, citing a $400 million unfavorable payer mix impact from patients losing ACA exchange coverage and declining surgical volumes. While the guidance cut initially sent shares down nearly 7–10% on July 14, the stock recovered as investors weighed better-than-expected Q2 revenue of ~$20.2B and reassessed the magnitude of the selloff; several analysts trimmed price targets but maintained bullish ratings, with RBC cutting to $435, Jefferies to $450, and Cantor Fitzgerald holding its Overweight at $525.

4.1942

July 15, 2026HCA Healthcare tumbled nearly 7% after issuing a pre-earnings guidance cut tied to worsening ACA exchange disruption, with the company disclosing a roughly $400 million pretax hit in Q2 from uninsured volume growth as patients lost health insurance exchange coverage. HCA raised its full-year exchange-related headwind estimate to $1.0–$1.2 billion from a prior $600–$900 million range and trimmed its 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $28.70–$30.50 from $29.10–$31.50, even as Q2 revenue of ~$20.23B and adjusted EPS of $7.59 both topped consensus estimates. The selloff rippled across hospital peers including Tenet and Universal Health Services, while analysts at KeyBanc and Stephens trimmed price targets but maintained bullish ratings.

-6.9458

July 14, 2026HCA Healthcare fell nearly 4% Monday, underperforming the broader healthcare sector (XLV) amid a risk-off session driven by renewed U.S.-Iran military hostilities that sent oil prices surging and weighed on equities broadly. Adding company-specific pressure, Barclays downgraded HCA to Equal Weight from Overweight and cut its price target to $427 from $496, while Mizuho and Wells Fargo also trimmed their targets, reflecting cautious sentiment ahead of Q2 earnings season. Investors are recalibrating expectations after HCA's most recent quarter showed modest 4.3% revenue growth with EPS slightly missing estimates, and with the broader healthcare sector facing a projected 9% Q2 earnings decline.

-3.8983

July 11, 2026HCA Healthcare closed modestly lower as a wave of analyst target cuts continues to weigh on sentiment, headlined by Barclays downgrading the stock to hold and slashing its price target to $427 from $496. Despite a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target near $497, multiple firms including TD Cowen, JPMorgan, and Sanford Bernstein have trimmed their outlooks in recent weeks, reflecting caution after Q1 EPS of $7.15 slightly missed estimates. Bulls argue the pullback — with shares down roughly 13% year-to-date and trading at ~14x forward earnings — leaves the stock attractively valued given HCA's capacity expansion strategy, 4.3% revenue growth, and FY2026 guidance of $29.10–$31.50 EPS.

-0.5917

July 10, 2026HCA Healthcare closed modestly lower, ending a volatile session shaped by a Barclays downgrade and a flurry of analyst target cuts. Barclays downgraded the stock to Equal Weight from Overweight on July 8th, slashing its price target to $427 from $496, while Stephens also trimmed its target to $500 from $530 — part of a broader wave of Street caution tied to policy-driven pressure on Medicaid and state directed payments. Despite the near-term headwinds, the stock rebounded in after-hours trading, gaining roughly 0.9%, as the XLV healthcare sector ETF was flat in extended hours. With HCA trading well below its 200-day moving average of ~$461 and its consensus price target of ~$497, long-term investors are monitoring whether the Medicaid policy overhang is already priced in, especially with Q2 earnings on the horizon.

-0.3897

July 9, 2026HCA Healthcare closed down nearly 3% after Barclays downgraded the stock to Equal-Weight from Overweight and slashed its price target to $427 from $496, citing volume uncertainty and growing concerns over Medicaid policy risk. The downgrade compounded broader market pressure from a risk-off session triggered by President Trump declaring the U.S.-Iran ceasefire 'over,' sending oil prices surging and dragging equities lower, even as the broader healthcare sector (XLV) held relatively steady.

-2.9543

StockStory · July 17, 2026Stocks making big moves this week: HCA Healthcare, UnitedHealth, CrowdStrike, RXO, and EnovisThe Business Journals · July 17, 2026Documents reveal HCA Healthcare is exploring a rebrand for TriStar DivisionBenefitsPRO · July 16, 2026HCA Healthcare cuts outlook over ACA coverage shiftsTipRanks · July 15, 2026HCA Healthcare Updates Q2 Results and 2026 OutlookSeeking Alpha · July 14, 2026HCA surgery volumes dip in Q2, sending MedTech stocks lowerMorningstar · July 14, 2026HCA: Firm Lowers 2026 Guidance on Rising Uninsured Population and Related PressuresQuiver Quantitative · July 14, 2026HCA Falls After 2026 Guidance Cut Tied to Exchange Coverage LossesSimply Wall Street · June 6, 2026HCA Expands Urgent Care, Payer Ties And Education To Support Growth
Benzinga · July 16, 2026Barclays Maintains Equal-Weight on HCA Healthcare, Lowers Price Target to $402
Benzinga · July 15, 2026RBC Capital Maintains Outperform on HCA Healthcare, Lowers Price Target to $435
Mt Newswire · July 15, 2026RBC Capital Adjusts Price Target on HCA Healthcare to $435 From $534, Maintains Outperform Rating
Mt Newswire · July 15, 2026Barclays Adjusts Price Target on HCA Healthcare to $402 From $427, Maintains Equalweight Rating
Mt Newswire · July 15, 2026Jefferies Adjusts Price Target on HCA Healthcare to $450 From $525, Maintains Buy Rating
Benzinga · July 14, 2026Intuitive Surgical Stock Hits 52-Week Lows: What's Going On?
Mt Newswire · July 14, 2026Stephens Adjusts Price Target on HCA Healthcare to $480 From $500, Maintains Overweight Rating
Benzinga · July 14, 2026HCA Healthcare Trims 2026 Profit Outlook, Stock Falls

Peers

S&P 500SPX · $7,457.69-1.01%Tenet Healthcare CorporationTHC · $194.91-2.15%Universal Health Services, Inc.UHS · $151.16-1.55%Encompass Health CorporationEHC · $112.21-0.25%The Ensign Group, Inc.ENSG · $171.28-0.93%Community Health Systems, Inc.CYH · $3.30-2.37%DaVita Inc.DVA · $236.97+1.26%Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.ACHC · $34.50+2.65%Centene Corp.CNC · $66.44+3.99%Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc.MD · $26.13-0.80%Concentra Group Holdings Parent, Inc.CON · $31.61-0.09%PACS Group, Inc.PACS · $46.13+1.10%