Analysts Are Upgrading These 5 Stocks on Friday

2. HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 62

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) has gained 1.86% as of 11:45 AM ET after the Tennessee-based operator of healthcare facilities received an upgrade from a Market Perform to an Outperform rating by Lance Wilkes at Bernstein. The analyst revised the price target on HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA)  from $273 to $271, which still provides a potential upside of nearly 28% from the last closing price. Wilkes is confident that HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) can pass through higher labor costs, which will help earnings recover. This will be a positive catalyst for HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) stock as earnings estimates are already lowered, and the stock is trading at a depressed valuation.

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) was mentioned in the Q3 2021 investor letter of First Eagle Investment Management. Here’s what the firm said:

“HCA Healthcare owns and operates 185 hospitals and approximately 2,000 sites of care in the US and UK. Admissions to its facilities, depressed during the worst of the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, have begun to rebound. HCA reported a nearly 20% year-over-year increase in admissions during the second quarter and a 14% increase in revenue, and forecast that volume would continue to improve throughout the year. We maintain our positive opinion of the company’s management team, believing them to be effective stewards of both the balance sheet and HCA’s business operations.”