Hantz Financial Services Inc. Boosts Stock Position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA)

Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) by 17.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,040 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,621 shares during the quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc.'s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $5,415,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare during the third quarter worth about $39,000. Canoe Financial LP bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the third quarter worth approximately $41,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter worth $44,000. Finally, Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. increased its stake in HCA Healthcare by 50.0% in the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. now owns 150 shares of the company's stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the last quarter. 62.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 2.3 %

Shares of NYSE:HCA traded up $7.65 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $335.27. The company's stock had a trading volume of 333,489 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,705,423. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 12-month low of $289.98 and a 12-month high of $417.14. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $313.18 and a 200-day moving average of $353.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.06, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 48.71.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 24th. The company reported $6.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $6.03 by $0.19. HCA Healthcare had a return on equity of 520.98% and a net margin of 8.52%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $5.90 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 21.75 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.72 per share. This is an increase from HCA Healthcare's previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. HCA Healthcare's dividend payout ratio is presently 11.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HCA has been the topic of several recent research reports. KeyCorp reduced their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $420.00 to $370.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $405.00 to $384.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $392.00 to $366.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating and set a $405.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Monday. Finally, Raymond James lowered HCA Healthcare from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, HCA Healthcare currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $382.19.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other HCA Healthcare news, insider Erol R. Akdamar sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $353.00, for a total value of $1,023,700.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 6,843 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,415,579. This trade represents a 29.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Phillip G. Billington sold 3,897 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.00, for a total value of $1,363,950.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 52,702 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,445,700. The trade was a 6.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

HCA Healthcare Company Profile

HCA Healthcare, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates hospitals and related healthcare entities in the United States. It operates general and acute care hospitals that offers medical and surgical services, including inpatient care, intensive care, cardiac care, diagnostic, and emergency services; and outpatient services, such as outpatient surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, cardiology, and physical therapy.