HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) earnings on July 24, 2026

Before the market opens Q2 2026

More HCA Healthcare, Inc. earnings

Prior outlook: Pessimistic Outcome: Partial

HCA Healthcare shares rose after the company reported better-than-expected quarterly results and strong patient admissions.

HCA price around the earnings

382.19

Change: +1.5%

2026-07-24, 20:00 UTC

Start of the measured window End of the measured window
367.88 378.09 388.30 398.51 376.50
Price series around the eventClosing price per minute from before the event to the end of the measured window.
July 24, 2026
  • Price: green if it ends above the starting price; red if it ends below
  • Start of the measured window
  • End of the measured window
  • Market open
  • Starting price
Price series around the event

Prior thesis

Prior outlook: Pessimistic Outcome: Partial

Thesis published
Results released

Pre-release: Strong past earnings beats and analyst upside, but negative trend strength and some downgrades.

Context analyzed before publication

Trend
Volatile trajectory with strong past beats, but recent analyst downgrades create headwinds.

Analysts

Evidence

Analyst consensus
Buy
Consensus average (1-5)
2
Analysts covering the stock
20
Average price target
467.6
Lowest price target
369
Highest price target
635
Upside to price target
24.2%
Quarterly earnings growth
0.6%
Revenue growth
4.3%
Forward EPS
32.74
Trailing EPS
29.4
Analyst moves in the last 60 days
8
  • Strong buy: 1
  • Buy: 13
  • Hold: 10
  • Sell: 1
  • Strong sell: 0
Strong buy
1
Buy
13
Hold
10
Sell
1
Strong sell
0
  • July 16, 2026 · Barclays: Maintains rating (Equal-Weight → Equal-Weight)
  • July 15, 2026 · RBC Capital: Maintains rating (Outperform → Outperform)
  • July 14, 2026 · Keybanc: Maintains rating (Overweight → Overweight)
  • July 13, 2026 · Wells Fargo: Maintains rating (Equal-Weight → Equal-Weight)
  • July 8, 2026 · Barclays: Downgrades rating (Overweight → Equal-Weight)
  • July 7, 2026 · Cantor Fitzgerald: Maintains rating (Overweight → Overweight)
  • June 22, 2026 · TD Cowen: Maintains rating (Buy → Buy)
  • June 4, 2026 · Bernstein: Maintains rating (Market Perform → Market Perform)

News and sentiment

Evidence

Sentiment
Sentiment
Constructive
Mention volume
Low
Normalized volume
33%
News
Sources (7)

Technicals

Evidence

Average true range (ATR)
3.1%
Distance to 52-week high
-30.7%
14-day change (14d)
-7.9%
30-day change (30d)
-2.7%
30-day relative strength
-3.3%
SPY change (30d)
+0.6%
Nearest support
374.83
Nearest resistance
376.79
Volume accumulation ratio (14d / 46d)
1.18

Trends

Evidence

Average earnings surprise
+9.3%
  • April 24, 2026: actual EPS 7.15 vs estimate 7.13 (surprise +0.3%)
  • January 27, 2026: actual EPS 8.01 vs estimate 7.48 (surprise +7.1%)
  • October 24, 2025: actual EPS 6.96 vs estimate 5.73 (surprise +21.6%)
  • July 25, 2025: actual EPS 6.84 vs estimate 6.32 (surprise +8.2%)

Expected move

Implied move
+2.2%
Source
Options chain

Reactions over its last 19 earnings

Median move
4.3%
75th percentile move
6.3%
90th percentile move
9.3%
Up / down moves
7 / 12
Average up move
+4.8%
Average down move
-5.9%

Monitoring and close

What HCA Healthcare, Inc. reported

Status
Finished
Actual EPS7.59
EPS estimate7.02
EPS surprise+8.1%
Revenue$20,230 million
Revenue estimate$19,400 million
Revenue surprise+4.3%

HCA Healthcare reported Q2 earnings that beat estimates but cut 2026 guidance. A shift toward more uninsured patients reduced pre-tax income by about $400 million.

Sources (16)

Pre-market second reading after the results

Verdict
Beat expectations

Heading into the open, the figures don't clearly confirm the prior scenario.

How the stock reacted

Outcome
Partial
Consolidated
+1.5%
Max favorable move (MFE)
3.1%
Max adverse move (MAE)
6%