HCA (HCA) Reports Q2 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

Zacks
Open on Zacks
HCA (HCA) Reports Q2 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

HCA Healthcare (HCA) reported $20.23 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 8.7%. EPS of $7.59 for the same period compares to $6.84 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $20.23 billion, representing no surprise. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +0.26%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $7.57.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how HCA performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Revenue per Equivalent Admission: $19,370.00 versus $18,771.14 estimated by five analysts on average. Equivalent Admissions: 1.04 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of 1.04 billion. Admissions: 579.56 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of 579.01 million. Patient Days: 2,690.92 Days compared to the 2,713.59 Days average estimate based on two analysts. Average Length of Stay: 5 versus 5 estimated by two analysts on average. Number of hospitals: 190 versus 189 estimated by two analysts on average. Inpatient Revenue per Admission: $22,524.00 compared to the $20,251.40 average estimate based on two analysts. Equivalent Patient Days: 4.85 million versus 4.9 million estimated by two analysts on average. Licensed Beds at End of Period: 50,550 versus 50,729 estimated by two analysts on average. Number of freestanding outpatient surgery centers: 118 versus the two-analyst average estimate of 119.

View all Key Company Metrics for HCA here>>>

Shares of HCA have returned -2.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.

7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days

Just released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."

Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +23.9% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. 

See them now >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report


 
HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA): Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research