Core Viewpoint - HCA Healthcare, Inc. reported strong third-quarter 2024 results with adjusted EPS of $5.05, exceeding estimates by 1.6% and showing a year-over-year increase of 29.2% [1] - Revenues reached $17.5 billion, a 7.9% year-over-year growth, although slightly missing consensus expectations [1] Quarterly Details - Same-facility equivalent admissions rose by 4.5% year over year, surpassing consensus estimates by 1.3%, while same-facility admissions also increased by 4.5% but missed estimates [2] - Same-facility revenue per equivalent admission increased by 2.5% year over year, exceeding consensus by 0.7% [2] - Same-facility inpatient surgeries grew by 1.6% year over year but fell short of the 2.2% growth estimate, while outpatient surgeries declined by 2% [2] - Emergency room visits increased by 4.6% year over year but missed the growth estimate of 4.9% [2] - Operating expenses, including salaries and benefits, totaled $14.2 billion, a 6.6% increase year over year, aligning with estimates [2] - Adjusted EBITDA improved by 13.4% year over year to $3.3 billion [2] Financial Update - As of September 30, 2024, HCA Healthcare had cash and cash equivalents of $2.9 billion, significantly up from $935 million at the end of 2023 [4] - Total assets increased to $59.5 billion from $56.2 billion at the end of 2023, while long-term debt rose to $38.3 billion from $37.2 billion [4] - Capital expenditures were reported at $1.19 billion, excluding acquisitions [4] Cash Flows - The company generated $3.5 billion in cash from operations in the third quarter, marking a 41.8% year-over-year increase [5] Capital Deployment Update - HCA repurchased shares worth $1.8 billion in the third quarter, with a remaining buyback capacity of $2.4 billion as of September 30, 2024 [6] Dividend Declaration - The board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 66 cents per share, payable on December 27, 2024, to shareholders of record as of December 13 [7] Fourth-Quarter Hurricane Impact - The company anticipates expenses and revenue losses from Hurricane Helene and Milton to be between $200 million and $300 million, equating to 60-90 cents per share in the fourth quarter [8] 2024 Outlook - Annual revenues are projected to be between $69.8 billion and $71.8 billion, indicating an 8.9% rise from 2023 [9] - Adjusted EBITDA is expected to range from $13.8 billion to $14.3 billion, suggesting a 10.2% growth from 2023 [9] - Net income is anticipated to be between $5.7 billion and $6 billion, reflecting an 11.6% increase from 2023 [9] - EPS is forecasted to be in the range of $21.60 to $22.80, implying a 17% rise from 2023 [9] - Capital expenditures, excluding acquisitions, are expected to be around $5 billion [9] 2025 Outlook - HCA's adjusted EBITDA and diluted EPS growth in 2025 are projected to be near or slightly above the upper end of its long-term growth targets of 4-6% and 8-12%, respectively [10] Zacks Rank - HCA Healthcare currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [11]

Core Insights - HCA Healthcare reported worse-than-expected results for the third quarter, primarily due to the impact of recent hurricanes, leading to a significant drop in share price by approximately 10% [1][2] - The company experienced a third-quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $4.88, with revenue increasing by 8% to $17.49 billion, both figures falling short of analyst expectations [1] - HCA estimated additional expenses and revenue losses of $50 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, related to Hurricane Helene's impact on facilities in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina [1] Financial Impact - For the current quarter, HCA anticipates ongoing additional expenses and revenue losses between $200 million to $300 million, translating to $0.60 to $0.90 per share, due to the effects of Hurricanes Helene and Milton [2] - The company expects that the consequences of Hurricane Helene will continue to affect its North Carolina operations into 2025, but believes these impacts will be manageable [2] - Despite the recent declines, HCA Healthcare shares have increased by one-third in value over the year [2]

For the quarter ended September 2024, HCA Healthcare (HCA) reported revenue of $17.49 billion, up 7.9% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $5.05, compared to $3.91 in the year-ago quarter. The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $17.49 billion, representing a surprise of -0.04%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +1.61%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $4.97. While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- an ...

Company Performance - HCA Healthcare reported quarterly earnings of $5.05 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.97 per share, and up from $3.91 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of 1.61% [1] - The company posted revenues of $17.49 billion for the quarter ended September 2024, slightly missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.04%, compared to $16.21 billion in the same quarter last year [1] - Over the last four quarters, HCA has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times and topped consensus revenue estimates three times [1] Stock Performance - HCA shares have increased approximately 47.4% since the beginning of the year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 21.8% [2] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $6.62 on revenues of $18.45 billion, and for the current fiscal year, it is $22.48 on revenues of $70.77 billion [4] Industry Outlook - The Medical - Hospital industry, to which HCA belongs, is currently ranked in the top 4% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook [5] - The performance of HCA's stock may also be influenced by the overall industry outlook, as research shows that the top 50% of Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by more than 2 to 1 [5]

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Commure has been selected by HCA Healthcare, Inc., one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services, as the exclusive partner to develop and deploy an ambient AI platform across its network of healthcare professionals. This partnership, following Commure’s acquisition of ambient AI pioneer Augmedix, marks a significant step forward in efforts to integrate AI into healthcare and transform the way patient visits are conducted and documented ...

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) is scheduled to report third-quarter 2024 results on Oct. 25, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter earnings per share of $4.97 indicates a 27.1% increase from the prior-year figure of $3.91.Stay up-to-date with all quarterly releases: See Zacks Earnings Calendar.The earnings estimate has witnessed upward revisions over the past 60 days. The consensus estimate for third-quarter revenues of $17.5 billion indicates 7.9% growth from the year-ago repo ...

Wall Street analysts forecast that HCA Healthcare (HCA) will report quarterly earnings of $4.97 per share in its upcoming release, pointing to a year-over-year increase of 27.1%. It is anticipated that revenues will amount to $17.49 billion, exhibiting an increase of 7.9% compared to the year-ago quarter.The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has undergone a downward revision of 0.3% in the past 30 days, bringing it to its present level. This represents how the covering analysts, as a whole, have reasse ...

Michael (Mike) Dion is an FP&A, Corporate Finance, and Small Business expert who spent the last 12 years working in the Fortune 100, building a startup's finance and accounting department, advising small businesses, and guiding non-profit organizations as a board member. He has finance experience across multiple industries, including Telecom, Media and Entertainment, Hospitality, and Construction. He founded F9 Finance, a website that helps Finance professionals accelerate their careers; and simplifies Fina ...

Group 1: HCA Healthcare - HCA Healthcare is a leading hospital chain in the U.S. with 186 hospitals and over 2,000 care centers, demonstrating strong market share growth from 24% in 2012 to 27% a decade later [2][3] - The company has successfully navigated challenges such as managing medical facilities and economic issues, resulting in strong financial performance alongside market share gains [3] - HCA plans to continue investing in facilities and services, targeting a 29% market share by 2030, indicating a proven strategy in a competitive industry [3] Group 2: Vertex Pharmaceuticals - Vertex Pharmaceuticals has a strong portfolio focused on cystic fibrosis treatments, being the only company that markets medicines addressing the underlying causes of the condition [4][5] - The company is expanding beyond cystic fibrosis with the recent approval of Casgevy, a gene-editing therapy for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, which is expected to contribute significantly to revenue [5] - Vertex is awaiting approval for new products and has ongoing clinical trials, positioning the company for potential clinical successes and better-than-average returns through the end of the decade [5][6]

HCA Healthcare (HCA) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended September 2024. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price. The earnings report, which is expected to be released on October 25, 2024, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better ...