S&P 500   5,026.61
DOW   38,671.69
QQQ   437.05
Israel's finance minister blasts Moody's downgrade of the the country's credit rating
Laser breakthrough could send stock soaring 2,467% (Ad)
Mardi Gras beads are creating a plastic disaster in New Orleans. Are there green alternatives?
Super Bowl Live Updates | 49ers are Super Bowl favorites in 2025
Massive "Lightning Line" Rollout Underway Across America… (Ad)
Recession risks are fading, business economists say, but political tensions pose threat to economy
Venezuela defends military buildup, accusing neighboring Guyana of granting illegal oil contracts
Massive "Lightning Line" Rollout Underway Across America… (Ad)
Stock market today: World shares mostly higher after S&P 500 tops 5,000
FMC stock just set a new ceiling higher, 50% higher indeed
S&P 500   5,026.61
DOW   38,671.69
QQQ   437.05
Israel's finance minister blasts Moody's downgrade of the the country's credit rating
Laser breakthrough could send stock soaring 2,467% (Ad)
Mardi Gras beads are creating a plastic disaster in New Orleans. Are there green alternatives?
Super Bowl Live Updates | 49ers are Super Bowl favorites in 2025
Massive "Lightning Line" Rollout Underway Across America… (Ad)
Recession risks are fading, business economists say, but political tensions pose threat to economy
Venezuela defends military buildup, accusing neighboring Guyana of granting illegal oil contracts
Massive "Lightning Line" Rollout Underway Across America… (Ad)
Stock market today: World shares mostly higher after S&P 500 tops 5,000
FMC stock just set a new ceiling higher, 50% higher indeed
S&P 500   5,026.61
DOW   38,671.69
QQQ   437.05
Israel's finance minister blasts Moody's downgrade of the the country's credit rating
Laser breakthrough could send stock soaring 2,467% (Ad)
Mardi Gras beads are creating a plastic disaster in New Orleans. Are there green alternatives?
Super Bowl Live Updates | 49ers are Super Bowl favorites in 2025
Massive "Lightning Line" Rollout Underway Across America… (Ad)
Recession risks are fading, business economists say, but political tensions pose threat to economy
Venezuela defends military buildup, accusing neighboring Guyana of granting illegal oil contracts
Massive "Lightning Line" Rollout Underway Across America… (Ad)
Stock market today: World shares mostly higher after S&P 500 tops 5,000
FMC stock just set a new ceiling higher, 50% higher indeed
S&P 500   5,026.61
DOW   38,671.69
QQQ   437.05
Israel's finance minister blasts Moody's downgrade of the the country's credit rating
Laser breakthrough could send stock soaring 2,467% (Ad)
Mardi Gras beads are creating a plastic disaster in New Orleans. Are there green alternatives?
Super Bowl Live Updates | 49ers are Super Bowl favorites in 2025
Massive "Lightning Line" Rollout Underway Across America… (Ad)
Recession risks are fading, business economists say, but political tensions pose threat to economy
Venezuela defends military buildup, accusing neighboring Guyana of granting illegal oil contracts
Massive "Lightning Line" Rollout Underway Across America… (Ad)
Stock market today: World shares mostly higher after S&P 500 tops 5,000
FMC stock just set a new ceiling higher, 50% higher indeed

Is Humana’s pain HCA Healthcare’s gain?

HCA Healthcare stock price

Key Points

  • HCA Healthcare is the nation's largest for-profit hospital owner and operator, serving 20 states and the U.K.
  • HCA crushed Q4 2023 EPS estimates by 85 cents, and revenues rose 11% YoY to $17.3 billion, crushing analyst estimates for $16.51 billion.
  • HCA raising its full-year 2024 EPS and revenue guidance handily while Humana lowering its top and bottom line guidance dramatically could be more than a coincidence.
  • 5 stocks we like better than HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare Inc. NYSE: HCA is the largest for-profit hospital company in the United States. The company owns and operates 186 hospitals and nearly 2,400 ambulatory sites, including freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care and surgery centers, and physician clinics in 20 states and the United Kingdom. Originally formed as Hospital Corporation of America in 1968, the medical sector leader has evolved into a powerhouse provider of medical services. It competes with hospital and healthcare facilities operators Tenet Healthcare Ins. NYSE: THC and Community Health Systems Inc. NYSE: CYH.

Its recent earnings report showcased both top and bottom-line growth. Incidentally, one of the nation's largest health insurers, Humana Inc. NYSE: HUM, warned of spiraling Medicare Advantage plan costs, severely cutting EPS estimates through 2025. Is there an asymmetric relationship between the provider and payor that has formed? If Human’s pain HCA Healthcare’s gain?

Growing the ecosystem

HCA continues to invest capital toward a large pipeline of projects to continue expanding its network of facilities, services, and workforce. The significant investment in workforce training and development programs includes expanding its majority-owned Galen College of Nursing and centers for clinical advancement with over 20 campuses nationwide.


It has over $2 billion of new capital projects that are expected to come online in 2024. It will also integrate a number of newly acquired outpatient facilities and hospitals to benefit its networks. The company plans to increase capital spending to more than $5 billion and enhance its stock buyback program to nearly $5 billion.

Get AI-powered insights on MarketBeat.

Strong quarter

On Jan. 30, 2024, HCA reported Q4 2023 EPS of $5.90, beating consensus analyst estimates by 85 cents. Revenues grew 11.7% YoY to $17.3 billion versus $16.51 billion consensus estimates. Same-facility admissions rose 3.1% YoY, and same-facility equivalent admissions rose 3.9%. It's worth noting that Humana had also mentioned a strong uptick in inpatient utilization with Medicare Advantage plan members towards the end of the year in 2023.

HCA Healthcare CEO Sam Hazen commented, “Same-facility volumes across the company were strong in the fourth quarter. Admissions grew 3% year-over-year. Equivalent admissions were up 4%, emergency room visits grew 2%. Inpatient and outpatient surgery volumes increased by approximately 1%. Most of our other volume categories, including cardiac procedures and rehab admissions, also had solid growth metrics in the quarter.”

Raising the bar

HCA issued upside guidance for full-year 2024 EPS of $19.70 to $21.20 versus $19.51 consensus analyst estimates. Full-year 2024 revenues are expected between $67.75 billion to $70.25 billion versus $67.55 billion consensus analyst estimates. Capital expenditures are estimated to be around $5.1 billion to $5.3 billion, excluding acquisitions. Check out the sector heatmap on MarketBeat.

Medicare Advantage plan utilizations

HCA CFO Bill Rutherford stated that HCA saw Medicare Advantage admissions rise 10% in the quarter, which was consistent throughout the year. CFO Rutherford also pointed out that HCA could gain some moderate positive results in 2024 from Medicare Advantage volumes as a result. He claims the company has seen no impact in 2023 yet. This could also be a clue as to why Humana experienced the surge in Medicare Advantage plan inpatient utilization near the end of the fourth quarter of 2023.

Medicare two-midnight rule

The Medicare two-midnight rule applies to traditional and Medicare Advantage plan patients. It applies to inpatient admissions that cross over two-midnight stays are covered under Medicare Part A. This rule took effect on June 5, 2023, but will go fully into effect as final policies become applicable in 2024. This means Medicare Advantage plans must cover inpatient admissions where the patient is expected to stay for at least two nights and for medically necessary inpatient surgical procedures.

HCA Healthcare analyst ratings and price targets are at MarketBeat. Marriott International peers and competitor stocks can be found with the MarketBeat stock screener.

Daily ascending triangle and Golden Cross breakout

The daily candlestick chart for HCA illustrates an ascending triangle breakout pattern. The ascending trendline formed at $263.22 lows, rising to the flat-top upper horizontal trendline at $287.19. The breakout triggered the Q4 2023 earnings report, gapping shares up to the $296.12 level as it rose to $314.82 in the following days.

The daily relative strength index (RSI) spiked through the 70-band on the triangle breakout but peaked and started to slip towards the 70-band. The daily 50-period moving average (MA) at $272.11 has crossed up through the 200-period MA at $267.28, forming the Golden Cross breakout. Pullback support levels are at $296.12, $287.19, $271.66 and $263.22.

→ Obama’s 2024 Confession (From The Freeport Society) (Ad)

Should you invest $1,000 in HCA Healthcare right now?

Before you consider HCA Healthcare, you'll want to hear this.

MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and HCA Healthcare wasn't on the list.

While HCA Healthcare currently has a "Moderate Buy" rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.

View The Five Stocks Here

10 Best Stocks to Own in 2024 Cover

Click the link below and we'll send you MarketBeat's list of the 10 best stocks to own in 2024 and why they should be in your portfolio.

Get This Free Report

Companies Mentioned in This Article

CompanyMarketRank™Current PricePrice ChangeDividend YieldP/E RatioConsensus RatingConsensus Price Target
HCA Healthcare (HCA)
4.7186 of 5 stars
$306.32+0.3%0.78%16.14Moderate Buy$304.26
Tenet Healthcare (THC)
0 of 5 stars
$0.00-100.0%N/AN/AN/A
Community Health Systems (CYH)
4.4426 of 5 stars
$3.89+4.3%N/A2.16Hold$5.50
Compare These Stocks  Add These Stocks to My Watchlist 

Jea Yu

About Jea Yu

  • JeaYu21@gmail.com

Contributing Author

Trading Strategies

Experience

Jea Yu has been a contributing writer for MarketBeat since 2018.

Areas of Expertise

Equities, options, ETFs and futures; fundamental, qualitative, quantitative and technical analysis and pattern identification; active and swing trading; trading systems and methodology development

Education

Bachelor of Arts, University of Maryland, College Park

Past Experience

U.S. equity markets trader, writer and analyst for over 25 years. Published four books by publishers McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, Marketplace Books and Bloomberg Press. Speaker at various expos and seminars and has been quoted and featured in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Traders Magazine, The Financial Times and various trade publications, including Stocks & Commodities, Active Trader and Online Investor.


Featured Articles and Offers

Search Headlines:

My Account -