HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) Short Interest Down 7.9% in December

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) saw a significant decrease in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 4,400,000 shares, a decrease of 7.9% from the December 15th total of 4,780,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 1,470,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.0 days. Currently, 2.4% of the shares of the company are short sold.

HCA Healthcare Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of HCA Healthcare stock traded up $1.16 on Monday, reaching $310.60. The stock had a trading volume of 1,206,562 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,158,913. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $316.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $353.19. 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 has a 1 year low of $278.50 and a 1 year high of $417.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.95, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.64.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 27th. Investors of record on Friday, December 13th were given a dividend of $0.66 per share. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.85%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 13th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is currently 11.85%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. TD Cowen dropped their price target on HCA Healthcare from $450.00 to $440.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $380.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. KeyCorp dropped their price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare from $420.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded HCA Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $400.00 to $320.00 in a research report on Monday, November 25th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $390.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $385.27.

Insider Buying and Selling at HCA Healthcare

In other HCA Healthcare news, SVP Phillip G. Billington sold 3,897 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $350.00, for a total value of $1,363,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 52,702 shares in the company, valued at $18,445,700. This represents a 6.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Erol R. Akdamar sold 2,900 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $353.00, for a total value of $1,023,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 6,843 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,415,579. The trade was a 29.76 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HCA Healthcare

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. Canoe Financial LP purchased a new stake in HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare in the third quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.73% of the company’s stock.

About HCA Healthcare

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.