HCA Healthcare Inc (HCA)

Over the past six months, HCA Healthcare's stock price has increased by 16.15%. Revenue expectations for fiscal year 2025 have been revised upward by 0.1% over the past three months. Analysts forecast HCA stock price to rise over the next 12 months, with an average 1-year price target of $392.18 USD. In the fourth quarter of 2024, revenue increased by 5.7% to $18.3 billion, supported by increases in admissions, emergency room visits, and inpatient surgeries. The company's earnings for the last quarter were $6.45 USD per share, exceeding estimations.

HCA Healthcare's products and services generally experience demand seasonality, with a return to normal volume seasonality observed in the latter half of 2022 and continuing into the latter half of 2023. The company anticipates continued demand growth of around 1% to 2%. Historically, HCA has seen higher outpatient surgery volumes during the fourth quarter. In 2024, same facility equivalent admissions and patient days increased.

HCA Healthcare, Inc., founded in 1968 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, is an American for-profit operator of healthcare facilities operating in the hospital/nursing management industry. The company manages and operates a vast integrated network of medical facilities. HCA Healthcare provides hospital services such as medical and surgical services, outpatient services including surgery and therapy, and specialized care through psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation centers. Additionally, they manage freestanding surgery centers, emergency rooms, urgent care centers, physician clinics, home health, and hospice services, along with ancillary services like diagnostic imaging and pharmacy services. HCA Healthcare is also a significant provider of clinical and medical education.

HCA Healthcare has an extensive geographic footprint primarily across the United States and the United Kingdom. As of late 2024, the company operated 190 hospitals (178 in the U.S. and 8 in the UK) and approximately 2,400 sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and physician clinics, across 21 states in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. A significant portion of its U.S. hospitals are located in Florida and Texas.

HCA Healthcare has received positive recognition for its brand reputation, including being recognized on Fortune's 2025 World's Most Admired Companies list and named one of America's Most Innovative Companies by Fortune in 2025. HCA Healthcare has been recognized as one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" for ten years in a row. However, HCA Healthcare's reputation has also faced challenges, including protests by nurses affiliated with National Nurses United (NNU) and criticism from Florida Republican lawmakers. The Federal Trade Commission sued to block HCA's acquisition of five hospitals in the Salt Lake City area.

HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a diverse ownership structure, including institutional investors, individual investors, and insiders. Institutional investors hold approximately 53.09% of the company's stock, with major shareholders including Vanguard Group Inc. and BlackRock, Inc. Insiders own approximately 59.79% of the company's stock, with William R. Frist owning the most shares. The founding Frist family owns approximately 25% of the stockholder shares, making them the largest shareholders of the company.