HCA Healthcare Reports Strong Q4 Earnings, Shares Rise
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 27 Jan 26
Source: NASDAQ.COM
HCA Healthcare's shares rose by 6.91% as the company reached a 20-day high.
The company reported Q4 revenue of $19.5 billion, a year-over-year growth of approximately 7%, although it fell short of market expectations by $170 million. However, the adjusted EPS of $8.01 exceeded analyst forecasts by $0.53, indicating strong profitability. HCA also projected adjusted EBITDA for 2026 to be between $15.55 billion and $16.45 billion, surpassing the analyst consensus, and authorized a $10 billion share repurchase program, enhancing investor confidence.
This positive earnings report reflects HCA's operational strength and commitment to returning value to shareholders, which may continue to drive investor interest in the stock.
Analyst Views on HCA
Wall Street analysts forecast HCA stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for HCA is 491.89 USD with a low forecast of 420.00 USD and a high forecast of 525.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
19 Analyst Rating
13 Buy
5 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 491.230
Low
420.00
Averages
491.89
High
525.00
Current: 491.230
Low
420.00
Averages
491.89
High
525.00
About HCA
HCA Healthcare, Inc. is a health care services company. It owns, manages or operates hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), freestanding emergency care facilities, urgent care facilities, walk-in clinics, diagnostic and imaging centers, radiation and oncology therapy centers, comprehensive rehabilitation and physical therapy centers, hospices, and various other facilities. Its general, acute care hospitals provide a full range of services to accommodate such medical specialties as internal medicine, general surgery, cardiology, oncology, neurosurgery, orthopedics and obstetrics, as well as diagnostic and emergency services. Its behavioral hospitals provide a full range of mental health care services through inpatient, partial hospitalization and outpatient settings. It operates approximately 190 hospitals and 2,400 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
