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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.
