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HCA Healthcare (HCA) Stock Forecast & Price Target

HCA Healthcare logo
$395.44 +2.88 (+0.73%)
As of 01:49 PM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.

HCA Healthcare - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2026)

Consensus Rating

Sell
1
Hold
7
Buy
16

Based on 24 Wall Street analysts who have issued ratings for HCA Healthcare in the last 12 months, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy." Out of the 24 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 7 have given a hold rating, and 16 have given a buy rating for HCA.

Consensus Price Target

$515.77
30.43% Upside
According to the 24 analysts' twelve-month price targets for HCA Healthcare, the average price target is $515.77. The highest price target for HCA is $635.00, while the lowest price target for HCA is $425.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 30.43% from the current price of $395.44.
MarketBeat calculates consensus analyst ratings for stocks using the most recent rating from each Wall Street analyst that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Each analyst's rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Analyst consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings from Wall Street analysts. Each stock's consensus analyst rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0 to .5 = Strong Sell, .5 to 1 = Sell, 1 to 1.5 = Reduce, 1.5 to 2.5 = Hold, 2.5 to 3.0 = Moderate Buy, 3.0 to 3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.
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HCA Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
5/22/25 to 5/22/26
1 Month Ago
4/22/25 to 4/22/26
3 Months Ago
2/21/25 to 2/21/26
1 Year Ago
5/22/24 to 5/22/25
Strong Buy
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
1 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
16 Buy rating(s)
16 Buy rating(s)
16 Buy rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
Hold
7 Hold rating(s)
7 Hold rating(s)
8 Hold rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
Sell
1 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$515.77$537.36$530.77$381.13
Forecasted Upside30.43% Upside13.83% Upside-0.41% Downside1.22% Upside
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy

HCA Analyst Recommendations By Month

The chart below shows how a company's ratings by analysts have changed over time. Each bar represents the previous year of ratings for that month. Within each bar, the sell ratings are shown in red, the hold ratings are shown in yellow, the buy ratings are shown in green, and the strong buy ratings are shown in dark green.
Skip Chart & View Analyst Rating History

HCA Price Targets by Month

The chart below shows how a company's share price and consensus price target have changed over time. The dark blue line represents the company's actual price. The lighter blue line represents the stock's consensus price target. The even lighter blue range in the background of the two lines represents the low price target and the high price target for each stock.
Skip Chart and View Analyst Price Target HistorySkip Chart & View Price History Table

HCA Healthcare Stock vs. The Competition

TypeHCA HealthcareMedical CompaniesBroader Market
Consensus Rating Score
2.63
2.30
2.52
Consensus RatingModerate BuyHoldModerate Buy
Predicted Upside32.23% Upside1,713.29% Upside14.99% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Positive News

See Recent HCA News
Neutral News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalystActionRatingPrice TargetReport Date
Upside/Downside
Details
5/19/2026 Lower TargetNeutral$535.00 ➝ $490.00+19.92%
5/18/2026 DowngradeBuy (B)Buy (B-)
5/4/2026
Argus logo
Argus
3 of 5 stars
 Lower TargetBuy$560.00 ➝ $500.00+15.88%
4/28/2026 Lower TargetMarket Perform$541.00 ➝ $503.00+13.35%
4/28/2026 Lower TargetBuy$558.00 ➝ $540.00+21.69%
4/27/2026Lower TargetEqual Weight$481.00 ➝ $436.00+0.68%
4/27/2026Lower TargetOverweight$550.00 ➝ $510.00+17.77%
4/27/2026Lower TargetOverweight$551.00 ➝ $496.00+14.54%
4/27/2026Lower TargetOverweight$560.00 ➝ $530.00+19.56%
4/27/2026Lower TargetOutperform$540.00 ➝ $520.00+18.33%
4/27/2026Lower TargetBuy$561.00 ➝ $500.00+13.32%
4/27/2026 Lower TargetOutperform$573.00 ➝ $500.00+13.32%
4/27/2026Lower TargetOutperform$593.00 ➝ $534.00+21.03%
4/27/2026Lower TargetBuy$546.00 ➝ $535.00+23.54%
4/24/2026 Reiterated RatingBuy$525.00+21.24%
4/15/2026 Lower TargetNeutral$450.00 ➝ $442.00-11.16%
3/4/2026Reiterated RatingOverweight
2/25/2026Boost TargetOutperform$540.00 ➝ $585.00+8.85%
2/23/2026Boost TargetBuy$598.00 ➝ $635.00+19.14%
1/28/2026Boost TargetBuy$520.00 ➝ $558.00+14.79%
12/15/2025DowngradeEqual WeightUnderweight$425.00-12.31%
11/27/2025 DowngradeStrong-BuyHold
10/27/2025Set Target$525.00+15.66%
10/27/2025Boost TargetNeutral$430.00 ➝ $470.00+1.71%
7/28/2025DowngradeOutperformPeer Perform
4/9/2025Initiated CoverageNeutral

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Friday at 01:49 PM ET.


Should I Buy HCA Healthcare Stock? HCA Pros and Cons Explained

These pros and cons were generated based on recent news and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate insights. They were last updated on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Please send any questions or comments about these HCA Healthcare pros and cons to contact@marketbeat.com.

HCA Healthcare
Bull Case

green Wall Street bull icon

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in HCA Healthcare, Inc.:

  • The current stock price is around $540, reflecting a strong market position and investor interest.
  • HCA Healthcare, Inc. reported a revenue increase of 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year, indicating growth in its operations.
  • Analysts have a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for HCA Healthcare, Inc., suggesting positive sentiment among investment professionals.
  • The company has a solid dividend yield of 0.7%, providing a return on investment through regular dividend payments.
  • HCA Healthcare, Inc. has set ambitious earnings guidance for FY 2026, projecting earnings per share between 29.100 and 31.500, which could signal future profitability.

HCA Healthcare
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

Investors should be bearish about investing in HCA Healthcare, Inc. for these reasons:

  • The company missed analysts' consensus estimates for earnings per share by $0.04, which may raise concerns about its financial performance.
  • HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a negative return on equity of 295.93%, indicating potential inefficiencies in generating profit from shareholders' equity.
  • Recent downgrades from several investment firms, including a reduction in target prices, may reflect a cautious outlook on the stock's future performance.
  • One investment firm recently changed its rating from "buy" to "hold," suggesting a more conservative approach to the stock.
  • The company's dividend payout ratio is currently 10.73%, which, while sustainable, may limit future dividend increases if earnings do not grow significantly.

HCA Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 24 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for HCA Healthcare is $515.77, with a high forecast of $635.00 and a low forecast of $425.00.

24 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for HCA Healthcare in the last twelve months. There is currently 1 sell rating, 7 hold ratings and 16 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "moderate buy" HCA shares.

According to analysts, HCA Healthcare's stock has a predicted upside of 30.43% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

Over the previous 90 days, HCA Healthcare's stock had 1 downgrade by analysts.

Analysts like HCA Healthcare more than other "medical" companies. The consensus rating for HCA Healthcare is Moderate Buy while the average consensus rating for "medical" companies is Hold. Learn more on how HCA compares to other companies.


This page (NYSE:HCA) was last updated on 5/22/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.
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