HCA Healthcare posts Q3 2026 earnings beat, cites $400 M uninsured hit and lifts full‑year outlook

HCA Healthcare reported third‑quarter 2026 revenue of $19.85 billion, up 3.6% year over year, and adjusted earnings per share of $7.22, beating analyst estimates. Net income fell 3.9% to $1.579 billion because a shift in payer mix generated an estimated $400 million pre‑tax loss from increased uninsured patients. The company raised its full‑year 2026 guidance to the upper half of the previously issued ranges and repurchased $2.97 billion of shares.

The company’s guidance lift signals higher expected earnings and revenue for the year, offsetting the uninsured‑patient impact and may support the stock’s recent price gains. The $400 million pretax hit highlights sensitivity to policy‑driven payer‑mix changes that investors will monitor.

  • 1Revenue increased 3.6% year over year to $19.85 billion.
  • 2Adjusted earnings per share were $7.22, beating the $6.65 consensus estimate by $0.57.
  • 3Net income attributable to HCA fell 3.9% to $1.579 billion.
  • 4The payer‑mix shift caused an unfavorable impact on income before taxes of approximately $400 million.
  • 5HCA repurchased about 7.23 million shares for a total of $2.97 billion during the quarter.
  • 6Full‑year 2026 revenue guidance remains $77.0 billion to $79.5 billion, with the company now expecting results in the upper half of that range.

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