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HCA Healthcare, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 24 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 3 lowered, 6 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue and diluted EPS rose: Revenue rose 8.7 percent to $20.230 billion. Diluted EPS rose 11.6 percent, and adjusted diluted EPS rose 11.0 percent. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose; margin fell: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 19.9 percent, against 20.7 percent a year earlier. Net income attributable to HCA Healthcare, Inc. rose 2.8 percent to $1.699 billion. Source
  • Operating cash flow fell sharply: Operating cash flow was $2.335 billion in the quarter. Six-month operating cash flow was $4.349 billion, against $5.861 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Exchange coverage losses raised uninsured volume: Uninsured volume rose mainly because patients lost health insurance exchange coverage. The estimated impact includes a $75 million increase to the prior first-quarter estimate. Source
  • Florida program added $400 million: About $400 million of incremental net benefit from Medicaid Supplemental Payment Programs was recognized in the quarter, mainly for Florida, after CMS approval during the quarter. Source
  • Full-year profit guidance cut: Net income, Adjusted EBITDA and diluted EPS ranges were lowered at both ends. The company said the revision reflects results through the first half of the year. Source
  • Payer-mix and Medicaid assumptions revised: The exchange payer-mix impact estimate is now a larger unfavorable amount, and the Medicaid supplemental payment benefit estimate is now a positive range. Source
  • Buybacks of $2.064 billion in quarter: The company repurchased 4.752 million shares in the quarter. $7.210 billion remained under the repurchase authorization at June 30, 2026. Source

“As we look to the balance of the year, we have adjusted our guidance to reflect these factors.”

Sam Hazen, Chief Executive Officer of HCA Healthcare

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenues Sourcefull year 2026$77.000 to $79.500 billion
Net income attributable to HCA Healthcare, Inc. Sourcefull year 2026$6.300 to $6.700 billionLowered from $6.495 to $7.035 billion
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$15.400 to $16.100 billionLowered from $15.550 to $16.450 billion
EPS (diluted) Sourcefull year 2026$28.70 to $30.50 per diluted shareLowered from $29.10 to $31.50 per diluted share
Health insurance exchanges payer-mix impact on income before income taxes Sourcefull year 2026($1.000) to ($1.200) billion
Medicaid Supplemental Payment Programs net benefit Sourcefull year 2026$300 to $500 millionRaised from ($50) to ($250) million
Capital expenditures, excluding acquisitions Sourcefull year 2026$5.0 billion to $5.5 billionKept
Diluted shares used in EPS (millions) Sourcefull year 2026219.500 to 219.500Kept
Depreciation and amortization (millions) Sourcefull year 20263,745 to 3,795Kept
Interest expense (millions) Sourcefull year 20262,410 to 2,470Kept
Provision for income taxes (millions) Sourcefull year 20261,975 to 2,125Kept
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (millions) Sourcefull year 2026970 to 1,010Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance lowered: Full-year diluted EPS range lowered; net income and Adjusted EBITDA ranges also lowered. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Estimated unfavorable exchange payer-mix impact on income before taxes increased. Source
  • Guidance raised: Estimated net benefit from Medicaid Supplemental Payment Programs moved to a positive range. Source
  • Guidance kept: Capital expenditure estimate kept as previously given. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue and diluted EPS rose: Revenue rose 8.7 percent to $20.230 billion. Diluted EPS rose 11.6 percent, and adjusted diluted EPS rose 11.0 percent. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose; margin fell: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 19.9 percent, against 20.7 percent a year earlier. Net income attributable to HCA Healthcare, Inc. rose 2.8 percent to $1.699 billion. Source
  • Operating cash flow fell sharply: Operating cash flow was $2.335 billion in the quarter. Six-month operating cash flow was $4.349 billion, against $5.861 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Six-month results grew: Six-month revenue was $39.339 billion. Six-month net income attributable to HCA Healthcare, Inc. was $3.319 billion, or $14.77 per diluted share, against $13.28 a year earlier. Source
  • Facility sale gains in quarter: The quarter includes gains on sales of one facility of $10 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, against a $3 million loss a year earlier. Source

Payer and service mix

  • Exchange coverage losses raised uninsured volume: Uninsured volume rose mainly because patients lost health insurance exchange coverage. The estimated impact includes a $75 million increase to the prior first-quarter estimate. Source
  • Lower surgical volume shifted service mix: A smaller service mix shift was tied mainly to lower surgical volume, experienced to a lesser degree than the payer mix shift. Source
  • Positive factors cited alongside mix shifts: Management listed higher Medicaid supplemental payment benefit, growth in admissions and ER visits, and improved expense results as positive factors. Source

“we remain confident in our ability to navigate through this dynamic environment, maintain our focus and investments on improving patient care, and execute on our strategic plan to digitize and grow our healthcare networks”

Sam Hazen, Chief Executive Officer of HCA Healthcare

Medicaid and cost lines

  • Florida program added $400 million: About $400 million of incremental net benefit from Medicaid Supplemental Payment Programs was recognized in the quarter, mainly for Florida, after CMS approval during the quarter. Source
  • Florida amounts reach back to 2024: Florida program amounts cover October 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026. About $980 million of the revenue and $557 million of the expenses relate to periods before 2026. Source
  • Expense ratios fell against revenue: Salaries and benefits were 41.0 percent of revenue against 43.7 percent, and supplies 14.3 against 15.3. Other operating expenses rose to 24.9 percent from 20.4 percent. Source

Demand and service volumes

  • Admissions and ER visits grew: Admissions, equivalent admissions and ER visits grew on a same facility basis, while inpatient and outpatient surgical cases declined. Source
  • Surgical cases declined in both settings: Inpatient and outpatient surgical cases fell year over year on a same facility basis, consistent with the service mix shift described above. Source
  • Florida amounts sit in per-admission figures: Revenue per equivalent admission and inpatient revenue per admission in the operating statistics include the Florida incremental revenue recorded in the quarter. Source
  • Occupancy rose in the quarter: Occupancy was 72.7 percent for the quarter, against 72.0 percent, and 74.1 percent for six months against 74.4 percent. Source

2026 guidance and assumptions

  • Full-year profit guidance cut: Net income, Adjusted EBITDA and diluted EPS ranges were lowered at both ends. The company said the revision reflects results through the first half of the year. Source
  • Revenue range narrowed: Revenue guidance is $77.000 to $79.500 billion, narrowed from $76.500 to $80.000 billion, with the low end higher and the high end lower. Source
  • Payer-mix and Medicaid assumptions revised: The exchange payer-mix impact estimate is now a larger unfavorable amount, and the Medicaid supplemental payment benefit estimate is now a positive range. Source
  • Guidance assumes stable operations: Guidance assumes volume growth with a mostly stable operating environment, along with anticipated results from resiliency initiatives and other listed assumptions. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Buybacks of $2.064 billion in quarter: The company repurchased 4.752 million shares in the quarter. $7.210 billion remained under the repurchase authorization at June 30, 2026. Source
  • Quarterly capital expenditures of $1.231 billion: Capital expenditures in the quarter excluded acquisitions. Six-month purchases of property and equipment were $2.350 billion. Source
  • Liquidity and debt at June 30: Cash was $1.013 billion and total debt $49.718 billion. Credit facility availability was $3.086 billion, after letters of credit and commercial paper backstop reserves. Source
  • Quarterly dividend declared at $0.78: The Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.78 per share. Future dividends are expected to be funded by cash balances and future cash flows from operations. Source
  • Diluted share count fell: Diluted shares used in EPS were 222.828 million for the quarter, against 241.911 million a year earlier. Source

Footprint and strategy

  • Operations across 19 states and UK: At June 30, 2026 the company operated 190 hospitals and about 2,600 ambulatory sites of care in 19 states and the United Kingdom. Source
  • Hospitals and surgery centers fell: Hospitals fell to 190 from 191 a year earlier, and freestanding outpatient surgery centers to 118 from 124. Source
  • Endoscopy centers counted separately: Freestanding endoscopy centers are excluded from the surgery center count, at 30 at June 30, 2026 and 29 a year earlier. Source
  • Digitize and grow networks plan: Management cited its strategic plan to digitize and grow its healthcare networks, alongside continued investment in patient care.

Coming up, as management said on 24 July 2026

  • Dividend paid September 30: The $0.78 per share quarterly dividend is payable September 30, 2026 to holders of record on September 16, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Same facility admissions Sourceincreased 2.5 percent
Same facility equivalent admissions Sourceincreased 2.7 percent
Same facility emergency room visits Sourceincreased 3.6 percent
Same facility inpatient surgeries Sourcedeclined 2.3 percent
Same facility outpatient surgeries Sourcedeclined 3.4 percent
Same facility revenue per equivalent admission Sourceincreased 6.4 percent

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Guidance depends on estimated exchange effects from administrative reforms and expiring enhanced premium tax credits. Source
  • Regulatory: Guidance excludes any future state approvals that could change Medicaid directed and supplemental payment reimbursement. Source
  • External: Guidance is subject to general economic conditions, including inflation and trade policy effects such as tariffs. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The company said final second quarter results and updated guidance are consistent with the preview it gave on July 14. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.