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HCA Healthcare (HCA) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade
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HCA Healthcare (HCA - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $328.86, moving -0.49% from the previous trading session. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.89%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 1.03%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 1.25%.
Shares of the hospital operator have appreciated by 7.1% over the course of the past month, outperforming the Medical sector's gain of 0.72% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.56%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of HCA Healthcare in its forthcoming earnings report. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $4.92, reflecting a 0.2% decrease from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $16.79 billion, indicating a 7.72% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $20.49 per share and a revenue of $68.97 billion, representing changes of +7.79% and +6.16%, respectively, from the prior year.
Furthermore, it would be beneficial for investors to monitor any recent shifts in analyst projections for HCA Healthcare. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the company's business and profitability.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.23% increase. Currently, HCA Healthcare is carrying a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
Looking at its valuation, HCA Healthcare is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 16.13. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 16.48, so one might conclude that HCA Healthcare is trading at a discount comparatively.
We can additionally observe that HCA currently boasts a PEG ratio of 1.66. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. The average PEG ratio for the Medical - Hospital industry stood at 1.99 at the close of the market yesterday.
The Medical - Hospital industry is part of the Medical sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 98, putting it in the top 39% of all 250+ industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.
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HCA Healthcare (HCA) Stock Slides as Market Rises: Facts to Know Before You Trade
HCA Healthcare (HCA - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $328.86, moving -0.49% from the previous trading session. This move lagged the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.89%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a rise of 1.03%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw an increase of 1.25%.
Shares of the hospital operator have appreciated by 7.1% over the course of the past month, outperforming the Medical sector's gain of 0.72% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.56%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of HCA Healthcare in its forthcoming earnings report. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $4.92, reflecting a 0.2% decrease from the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, the latest consensus estimate predicts the revenue to be $16.79 billion, indicating a 7.72% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $20.49 per share and a revenue of $68.97 billion, representing changes of +7.79% and +6.16%, respectively, from the prior year.
Furthermore, it would be beneficial for investors to monitor any recent shifts in analyst projections for HCA Healthcare. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the company's business and profitability.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, spanning from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), boasts an impressive track record of outperformance, audited externally, with #1 ranked stocks yielding an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.23% increase. Currently, HCA Healthcare is carrying a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
Looking at its valuation, HCA Healthcare is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 16.13. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 16.48, so one might conclude that HCA Healthcare is trading at a discount comparatively.
We can additionally observe that HCA currently boasts a PEG ratio of 1.66. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. The average PEG ratio for the Medical - Hospital industry stood at 1.99 at the close of the market yesterday.
The Medical - Hospital industry is part of the Medical sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 98, putting it in the top 39% of all 250+ industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.