In its upcoming report, HCA Healthcare (HCA) is predicted by Wall Street analysts to post quarterly earnings of $7.36 per share, reflecting an increase of 18.3% compared to the same period last year. Revenues are forecasted to be $19.64 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 7.4%.
Over the past 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been adjusted downward by 0.3% to its current level. This demonstrates the covering analysts' collective reassessment of their initial projections during this period.
Ahead of a company's earnings disclosure, it is crucial to give due consideration to changes in earnings estimates. These revisions serve as a noteworthy factor in predicting potential investor reactions to the stock. Numerous empirical studies consistently demonstrate a strong relationship between trends in earnings estimate revision and the short-term price performance of a stock.
While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as a yardstick to evaluate the company's quarterly performance, scrutinizing analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics can offer a more comprehensive perspective.
In light of this perspective, let's dive into the average estimates of certain HCA metrics that are commonly tracked and forecasted by Wall Street analysts.
The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Revenues- Medicare' will likely reach $2.99 billion. The estimate suggests a change of +9.3% year over year.
Analysts predict that the 'Revenues- Managed Medicare' will reach $3.20 billion. The estimate indicates a change of +3.3% from the prior-year quarter.
The average prediction of analysts places 'Revenues- International (Managed Care & Insurers)' at $462.35 million. The estimate suggests a change of +7.5% year over year.
Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Revenues- Managed Medicaid' should arrive at $1.13 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +20%.
Analysts expect 'Revenue per Equivalent Admission' to come in at $18847.16 . The estimate compares to the year-ago value of $18146.00 .
The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Equivalent Admissions' of 1.04 billion. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 1.01 billion in the same quarter of the previous year.
Analysts forecast 'Admissions' to reach 575.80 million. Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 559.17 million in the same quarter last year.
It is projected by analysts that the 'Patient Days' will reach 2704 days. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 2692 days.
The consensus estimate for 'Average Length of Stay' stands at 5 . Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 5 in the same quarter of the previous year.
According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Number of hospitals' should come in at 191 . The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 190 .
The consensus among analysts is that 'Inpatient Revenue per Admission' will reach $20470.97 . Compared to the current estimate, the company reported $19737.00 in the same quarter of the previous year.
Analysts' assessment points toward 'Equivalent Patient Days' reaching 4.89 million. The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 4.85 million.
View all Key Company Metrics for HCA here>>>
Shares of HCA have experienced a change of -1.8% in the past month compared to the +0.7% move of the Zacks S&P 500 composite. With a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), HCA is expected to underperform the overall market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
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HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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