Check Out What Whales Are Doing With HCA

Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bullish stance on HCA Healthcare HCA.

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with HCA, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 16 uncommon options trades for HCA Healthcare.

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 31% bullish and 12%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 3 are puts, for a total amount of $91,353, and 13 are calls, for a total amount of $911,865.

Predicted Price Range

Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $310.0 to $420.0 for HCA Healthcare over the recent three months.

Volume & Open Interest Trends

Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for HCA Healthcare's options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across HCA Healthcare's significant trades, within a strike price range of $310.0 to $420.0, over the past month.

HCA Healthcare Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days

Noteworthy Options Activity:

About HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare is a Nashville-based healthcare provider organization operating the largest collection of acute-care hospitals in the United States. As of June 2024, the firm owned and operated 188 hospitals, 123 freestanding outpatient surgery centers, and a broad network of physician offices, urgent-care clinics, and freestanding emergency rooms across 20 states and a small foothold in England.

Following our analysis of the options activities associated with HCA Healthcare, we pivot to a closer look at the company's own performance.

Where Is HCA Healthcare Standing Right Now?

• With a trading volume of 471,571, the price of HCA is up by 2.28%, reaching $403.0.
• Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be overbought.
• Next earnings report is scheduled for 36 days from now.

What The Experts Say On HCA Healthcare

Over the past month, 5 industry analysts have shared their insights on this stock, proposing an average target price of $409.2.

• Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Truist Securities keeps a Buy rating on HCA Healthcare with a target price of $430.
• Maintaining their stance, an analyst from RBC Capital continues to hold a Outperform rating for HCA Healthcare, targeting a price of $405.
• An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded its action to Overweight with a price target of $392.
• An analyst from Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded its action to Overweight with a price target of $392.
• In a cautious move, an analyst from Morgan Stanley downgraded its rating to Equal-Weight, setting a price target of $427.

Options trading presents higher risks and potential rewards. Astute traders manage these risks by continually educating themselves, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and keeping a close eye on market movements. Stay informed about the latest HCA Healthcare options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.