HCA

AI Research

+48.79% YTD + Q4 revenue +6.7% + 2026 guidance $76.5-80B → HCA hospital demand surges

HCA Healthcare is up 48.79% year-to-date, making it one of the best-performing large-cap healthcare stocks, following Q4 2025 revenue growth of 6.7% driven by strong inpatient surgical volumes and favorable commercial insurance mix. The company issued 2026 revenue guidance of $76.5-80 billion and announced a $10 billion share repurchase program, signaling confidence in sustained earnings growth. Risks include potential Medicaid reimbursement cuts in the federal budget process and labor cost inflation from nursing shortages that could compress margins.