Wilson Asset Management International PTY Ltd. Reduces Stake in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA)

Wilson Asset Management International PTY Ltd. trimmed its position in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA - Free Report) by 14.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 38,594 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,337 shares during the period. HCA Healthcare comprises 3.8% of Wilson Asset Management International PTY Ltd.'s portfolio, making the stock its 15th largest position. Wilson Asset Management International PTY Ltd.'s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $15,686,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bangor Savings Bank raised its stake in HCA Healthcare by 112.5% in the second quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 85 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Unique Wealth Strategies LLC bought a new position in HCA Healthcare in the second quarter worth $28,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare by 284.0% during the 2nd quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 96 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HCA has been the subject of several recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of HCA Healthcare from $378.00 to $405.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 23rd. Wolfe Research upgraded HCA Healthcare to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $376.00 to $396.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 24th. KeyCorp reduced their price target on shares of HCA Healthcare from $475.00 to $420.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $392.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $379.11.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

NYSE:HCA traded up $4.16 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $360.75. 1,639,763 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,163,735. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a one year low of $222.23 and a one year high of $417.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 27.11. The firm has a market cap of $94.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.67. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $394.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $352.94.

HCA Healthcare Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 13th will be given a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.73%. HCA Healthcare's payout ratio is currently 13.16%.

Insider Activity

In other HCA Healthcare news, SVP Kathleen M. Whalen sold 2,987 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $363.51, for a total transaction of $1,085,804.37. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 9,454 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,436,623.54. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, SVP Kathleen M. Whalen sold 2,987 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $363.51, for a total value of $1,085,804.37. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 9,454 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,436,623.54. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 8,358 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $385.42, for a total transaction of $3,221,340.36. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 29,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,438,494.76. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

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.