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HCA Healthcare (HCA) Stock Forecast & Price Target

HCA Healthcare logo
$319.33 +2.91 (+0.92%)
Closing price 02/24/2025 03:59 PM Eastern
Extended Trading
$320.44 +1.11 (+0.35%)
As of 02/24/2025 07:58 PM Eastern
Extended trading is trading that happens on electronic markets outside of regular trading hours. This is a fair market value extended hours price provided by Polygon.io. Learn more.

HCA Healthcare - Analysts' Recommendations and Stock Price Forecast (2025)

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.

Consensus Rating

Sell
1
Hold
3
Buy
14

Based on 18 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 18 analysts, 1 has given a sell rating, 3 have given a hold rating, 12 have given a buy rating, and 2 have given a strong buy rating for HCA.

Consensus Price Target

$385.67
20.77% Upside
According to the 18 analysts' twelve-month price targets for HCA Healthcare, the average price target is $385.67. The highest price target for HCA is $440.00, while the lowest price target for HCA is $320.00. The average price target represents a forecasted upside of 20.77% from the current price of $319.33.
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HCA Analyst Ratings Over Time

TypeCurrent Forecast
2/26/24 to 2/25/25
1 Month Ago
1/27/24 to 1/26/25
3 Months Ago
11/28/23 to 11/27/24
1 Year Ago
2/26/23 to 2/26/24
Strong Buy
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
2 Strong Buy rating(s)
0 Strong Buy rating(s)
Buy
12 Buy rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
11 Buy rating(s)
9 Buy rating(s)
Hold
3 Hold rating(s)
3 Hold rating(s)
5 Hold rating(s)
4 Hold rating(s)
Sell
1 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
1 Sell rating(s)
0 Sell rating(s)
Consensus Price Target$385.67$385.27$380.29$304.26
Forecasted Upside20.77% Upside23.28% Upside16.89% Upside-2.85% Downside
Consensus Rating
Moderate Buy
Moderate Buy
Moderate Buy
Moderate 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.
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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.
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HCA Healthcare Stock vs. The Competition

TypeHCA HealthcareMedical CompaniesS&P 500
Consensus Rating Score
2.83
2.82
2.53
Consensus RatingModerate BuyModerate BuyModerate Buy
Predicted Upside20.77% Upside27,528.15% Upside14.30% Upside
News Sentiment Rating
Neutral News

See Recent HCA News
Positive News
Positive News
DateBrokerageAnalyst NameActionRatingPrice TargetUpside/Downside on Report DateDetails
1/27/2025Bank of America
3 of 5 stars
Kevin Fischbeck
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Lower TargetBuy ➝ Buy$380.00 ➝ $370.00+12.36%
1/27/2025Royal Bank of Canada
4 of 5 stars
Ben Hendrix
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Lower TargetOutperform ➝ Outperform$405.00 ➝ $384.00+16.61%
1/27/2025Cantor Fitzgerald
4 of 5 stars
Sarah James
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Reiterated RatingOverweight ➝ Overweight$405.00 ➝ $405.00+29.60%
1/27/2025Barclays
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Andrew Mok
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Lower TargetOverweight ➝ Overweight$392.00 ➝ $366.00+17.12%
1/7/2025KeyCorp
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M. Gillmor
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Lower TargetOverweight ➝ Overweight$420.00 ➝ $370.00+20.54%
1/6/2025Truist Financial
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 Lower TargetBuy ➝ Buy$430.00 ➝ $390.00+31.45%
12/17/2024Morgan Stanley
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 Lower TargetEqual Weight ➝ Equal Weight$406.00 ➝ $355.00+15.41%
12/17/2024JPMorgan Chase & Co.
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 Reiterated RatingNeutral$380.00+22.74%
11/25/2024Wells Fargo & Company
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S. Baxter
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DowngradeEqual Weight ➝ Underweight$400.00 ➝ $320.00-1.52%
11/22/2024Raymond James
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J. Ransom
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DowngradeOutperform ➝ Market Perform
10/28/2024TD Cowen
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 Lower TargetBuy ➝ Buy$450.00 ➝ $440.00+22.05%
10/28/2024Oppenheimer
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 Boost TargetOutperform ➝ Outperform$390.00 ➝ $400.00+10.22%
8/29/2024Wolfe Research
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J. Lake
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UpgradeStrong-Buy
8/14/2024UBS Group
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 Boost TargetBuy ➝ Buy$405.00 ➝ $438.00+18.74%
7/24/2024Leerink Partners
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 Boost TargetOutperform ➝ Outperform$367.00 ➝ $396.00+16.32%
6/28/2024Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft
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 Boost TargetBuy ➝ Buy$359.00 ➝ $375.00+14.85%
5/30/2024Baird R W
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M. Ha
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UpgradeStrong-Buy
5/30/2024Robert W. Baird
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 Initiated CoverageOutperform$396.00+21.88%
1/4/2024Sanford C. Bernstein
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 DowngradeOutperform ➝ Market Perform$277.00 ➝ $301.00+9.85%
12/11/2023The Goldman Sachs Group
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 DowngradeBuy ➝ Neutral$271.00+5.23%
11/10/2023Stephens
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 Reiterated RatingOverweight ➝ Overweight$280.00+20.26%
10/25/2023Mizuho
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 Lower TargetBuy ➝ Buy$325.00 ➝ $275.00+21.19%
10/25/2023Citigroup
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 Lower TargetBuy ➝ Buy$324.00 ➝ $279.00+22.87%
7/28/2023Credit Suisse Group
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 Boost TargetOutperform$311.00 ➝ $316.00+14.31%
6/28/20231-800-FLOWERS.COM
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 Reiterated RatingMaintains
6/28/2023VNET Group
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 Reiterated RatingMaintains
5/10/2023Argus
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 Boost Target$285.00 ➝ $310.00+13.12%
4/24/2023Jefferies Financial Group
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 Boost Target$325.00 ➝ $350.00+23.24%
4/24/2023Loop Capital
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 Boost Target$285.00 ➝ $320.00+13.79%

Analyst ratings data on MarketBeat is provided by Benzinga and other data providers. This page was last refreshed on Tuesday at 06:36 AM 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 Sunday, February 23, 2025. 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.:

  • HCA Healthcare, Inc. recently reported earnings per share (EPS) of $6.22, exceeding analysts' expectations of $6.03, indicating strong financial performance and effective management.
  • The company has announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.72 per share, up from $0.66, reflecting a commitment to returning value to shareholders and a healthy dividend payout ratio of 12.02%.
  • With a current stock price of $316.18, HCA Healthcare, Inc. is trading below the average price target of $385.67 set by analysts, suggesting potential for price appreciation.
  • Analysts have assigned a "Moderate Buy" rating to HCA Healthcare, Inc., with a significant number of buy ratings indicating positive sentiment and confidence in the company's future performance.
  • The company has demonstrated a robust return on equity of 586.47%, showcasing its ability to generate profits from shareholders' equity, which is a positive indicator for investors.

HCA Healthcare
Bear Case

red Wall Street bear icon

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

  • Recent downgrades from multiple analysts, including Wells Fargo & Company, which lowered its rating to "underweight" and set a price target of $320.00, may indicate concerns about the stock's future performance.
  • The stock has experienced a decline of 1.8% recently, which could signal volatility and potential challenges in maintaining investor confidence.
  • HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a relatively high debt-to-equity ratio of 69.07, suggesting that the company relies significantly on debt financing, which can be risky in fluctuating market conditions.
  • Despite a strong EPS report, the company's net margin of 8.16% may be considered low compared to industry standards, raising concerns about profitability and operational efficiency.
  • Insider selling activity, such as the recent sale of 9,533 shares by a senior vice president, could be interpreted as a lack of confidence in the company's short-term prospects.

HCA Forecast - Frequently Asked Questions

According to the research reports of 18 Wall Street equities research analysts, the average twelve-month stock price forecast for HCA Healthcare is $385.67, with a high forecast of $440.00 and a low forecast of $320.00.

18 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, 3 hold ratings, 12 buy ratings and 2 strong 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 20.77% based on their 12-month stock forecasts.

HCA Healthcare has been rated by research analysts at Bank of America, Barclays, Cantor Fitzgerald, JPMorgan Chase & Co., KeyCorp, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Canada, and Truist Financial in the past 90 days.

Analysts like HCA Healthcare more than other "medical" companies. The consensus rating score for HCA Healthcare is 2.83 while the average consensus rating score for "medical" companies is 2.82. Learn more on how HCA compares to other companies.


This page (NYSE:HCA) was last updated on 2/25/2025 by MarketBeat.com Staff
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