HCA Jumps 20% In A Month: How Does It Stack Against Peers?
Here is how HCA Healthcare (HCA) stacks up against its peers in size, valuation, growth and margin.
- HCA has the highest operating margin among peers at 15.2%.
- HCA’s revenue growth of 6.4% in the last 12 months is moderate, outpacing DVA, SEM but lagging LH, NEO, DGX.
- HCA’s stock gained 4.4% over the past year and trades at a PE of 16.1, though peers like LH, DGX delivered stronger returns.
As a quick background, HCA Healthcare provides comprehensive healthcare services across 182 U.S. hospitals, including general, psychiatric, and rehabilitation care, specializing in inpatient, intensive, cardiac, diagnostic, and emergency services.
| HCA | LH | NEO | DVA | DGX | SEM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap ($ Bil) | 96.3 | 23.0 | 0.8 | 10.4 | 20.0 | 1.6 |
| Revenue ($ Bil) | 72.7 | 13.5 | 0.7 | 13.2 | 10.5 | 4.3 |
| PE Ratio | 16.1 | 30.2 | -7.9 | 12.5 | 21.1 | 11.9 |
| LTM Revenue Growth | 6.4% | 8.0% | 9.7% | 5.1% | 12.6% | 5.9% |
| LTM Operating Margin | 15.2% | 9.2% | -13.4% | 15.0% | 14.0% | 2.7% |
| LTM FCF Margin | 10.0% | 9.4% | -2.8% | 9.8% | 11.6% | 4.2% |
| 12M Market Return | 4.4% | 21.0% | -61.3% | -10.8% | 18.6% | -31.5% |
Why does this matter? HCA just went up 20.5% in a month – peer comparison puts stock performance, valuation, and financials in context – highlighting whether it is truly outperforming, lagging behind, and above all – can this continue? Read Buy or Sell HCA Stock to see if HCA Healthcare holds up as a quality investment. Furthermore, there is always a risk of fall after a strong rally – see how the stock has dipped and recovered in the past through HCA Dip Buyer Analysis lens.
While peer comparison is critical Trefis High Quality Portfolio evaluates much more, and is designed to reduce stock-specific risks while giving upside exposure.
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Revenue Growth Comparison
| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCA | 6.4% | 8.7% | 7.9% | 2.5% |
| LH | 8.0% | 7.0% | 2.5% | -9.7% |
| NEO | 9.7% | 11.6% | 16.1% | 5.2% |
| DVA | 5.1% | 5.6% | 4.6% | -0.1% |
| DGX | 12.6% | 6.7% | -6.4% | -8.4% |
| SEM | 5.9% | 7.5% | 4.7% | -25.7% |
Operating Margin Comparison
| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCA | 15.2% | 14.9% | 14.8% | 15.0% |
| LH | 9.2% | 8.7% | 9.2% | 14.8% |
| NEO | -13.4% | -12.9% | -16.3% | -30.0% |
| DVA | 15.0% | 15.3% | 13.2% | 11.3% |
| DGX | 14.0% | 13.6% | 13.6% | 14.4% |
| SEM | 2.7% | 5.2% | 5.5% | 3.1% |
PE Ratio Comparison
| LTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HCA | 16.1 | 13.5 | 14.1 | 12.3 |
| LH | 30.2 | 25.8 | 47.4 | 16.8 |
| NEO | -7.9 | -26.5 | -23.1 | -8.0 |
| DVA | 12.5 | 13.6 | 13.8 | 12.4 |
| DGX | 21.1 | 19.2 | 18.1 | 19.2 |
| SEM | 11.9 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 19.5 |
The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 – the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride, as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.