Waverton Investment Management Ltd Grows Position in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA)

Waverton Investment Management Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 12.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 159,382 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,968 shares during the period. HCA Healthcare comprises approximately 1.1% of Waverton Investment Management Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Waverton Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $64,767,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in HCA. Bangor Savings Bank lifted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 112.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bangor Savings Bank now owns 85 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the period. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Unique Wealth Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the second quarter valued at $28,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 284.0% in the 2nd quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 96 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. bought a new stake in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. 62.73% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of HCA stock opened at $358.11 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 48.71, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $389.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $356.55. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 1 year low of $229.28 and a 1 year high of $417.14. The company has a market cap of $90.71 billion, a PE ratio of 16.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.68.

HCA Healthcare Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 13th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. HCA Healthcare’s payout ratio is currently 11.85%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on HCA shares. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $392.00 target price on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $427.00 target price on the stock. Wolfe Research raised HCA Healthcare to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 29th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective 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. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $405.00 to $438.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 14th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $385.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other HCA Healthcare news, EVP Michael S. Cuffe sold 8,358 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $385.42, for a total transaction of $3,221,340.36. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 29,678 shares in the company, valued at $11,438,494.76. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

HCA Healthcare Profile

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.