A vs. HCA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at A and HCA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
HCA’s market capitalization of 90.60 billion USD is significantly greater than A’s 34.48 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
With betas of 1.23 for A and 1.50 for HCA, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
| Symbol | A | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Agilent Technologies, Inc. | HCA Healthcare, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Medical - Diagnostics & Research | Medical - Care Facilities |
| CEO | Padraig McDonnell | Samuel N. Hazen |
| Price | 121.38 USD | 376.58 USD |
| Market Cap | 34.48 billion USD | 90.60 billion USD |
| Beta | 1.23 | 1.50 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| IPO Date | November 18, 1999 | March 10, 2011 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of A and HCA by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
A
19.46%
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 57.35%
- Q3
- 18.17%
- Median
- 2.69%
- Q1
- -16.72%
- Min
- -48.78%
In the upper quartile for the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry, A’s Return on Equity of 19.46% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
HCA
-235.88%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 37.16%
- Q3
- 13.80%
- Median
- 6.51%
- Q1
- -11.55%
- Min
- -43.55%
HCA has a negative Return on Equity of -235.88%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.
Return on Invested Capital
A
11.71%
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 42.99%
- Q3
- 11.55%
- Median
- 3.02%
- Q1
- -11.49%
- Min
- -40.79%
In the upper quartile for the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry, A’s Return on Invested Capital of 11.71% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
HCA
16.94%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 20.36%
- Q3
- 9.05%
- Median
- 5.41%
- Q1
- -1.08%
- Min
- -9.00%
In the upper quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, HCA’s Return on Invested Capital of 16.94% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
A
17.59%
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 22.76%
- Q3
- 15.19%
- Median
- 1.64%
- Q1
- -22.25%
- Min
- -78.24%
A Net Profit Margin of 17.59% places A in the upper quartile for the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
HCA
8.07%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 12.40%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- 3.17%
- Q1
- -3.80%
- Min
- -13.43%
A Net Profit Margin of 8.07% places HCA in the upper quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
A
21.38%
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 36.06%
- Q3
- 20.26%
- Median
- 6.15%
- Q1
- -21.89%
- Min
- -82.21%
An Operating Profit Margin of 21.38% places A in the upper quartile for the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
HCA
15.15%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 17.86%
- Q3
- 10.40%
- Median
- 6.40%
- Q1
- 0.40%
- Min
- -10.86%
An Operating Profit Margin of 15.15% places HCA in the upper quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | A | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 19.46% | -235.88% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 9.59% | 9.66% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 11.71% | 16.94% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 17.59% | 8.07% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 21.38% | 15.15% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 53.79% | 67.91% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
A
2.09
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 6.91
- Q3
- 4.11
- Median
- 2.46
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- 0.73
A’s Current Ratio of 2.09 aligns with the median group of the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
HCA
1.19
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.67
- Q3
- 1.76
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 1.12
- Min
- 0.57
HCA’s Current Ratio of 1.19 aligns with the median group of the Medical - Care Facilities industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
A
0.57
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 1.10
- Q3
- 0.82
- Median
- 0.39
- Q1
- 0.21
- Min
- 0.01
A’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.57 is typical for the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
HCA
-13.20
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.55
- Q3
- 1.40
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.26
- Min
- 0.01
HCA has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of -13.20, which indicates negative shareholder equity where liabilities exceed assets. This is a critical sign of financial distress.
Interest Coverage Ratio
A
-472.33
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 37.07
- Q3
- 5.62
- Median
- 1.76
- Q1
- -38.78
- Min
- -57.46
A has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -472.33. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
HCA
5.17
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 16.29
- Q3
- 6.85
- Median
- 2.93
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- -7.11
HCA’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.17 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | A | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 2.09 | 1.19 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.60 | 1.06 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.57 | -13.20 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.29 | 0.78 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 1.43 | 3.23 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -472.33 | 5.17 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for A and HCA. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
A
0.81%
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 2.76%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 0.81%, A offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
HCA
0.73%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.79%
- Q3
- 0.08%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 0.73%, HCA offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Medical - Care Facilities industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
A
23.76%
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 37.46%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
A’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 23.76% is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
HCA
11.85%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 56.48%
- Q3
- 4.48%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
HCA’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 11.85% is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | A | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.81% | 0.73% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 23.76% | 11.85% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
A
29.67
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 48.28
- Q3
- 44.64
- Median
- 29.13
- Q1
- 22.34
- Min
- 15.59
A’s P/E Ratio of 29.67 is within the middle range for the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
HCA
16.25
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 40.40
- Q3
- 28.24
- Median
- 24.89
- Q1
- 13.53
- Min
- 8.53
HCA’s P/E Ratio of 16.25 is within the middle range for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
A
3.80
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 4.18
- Q3
- 3.64
- Median
- 2.40
- Q1
- 0.57
- Min
- 0.04
A Forward PEG Ratio of 3.80 places A in the upper quartile for the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
HCA
1.21
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 4.23
- Q3
- 3.06
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.04
HCA’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.21 is within the middle range of its peers in the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
A
5.20
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 12.53
- Q3
- 6.19
- Median
- 3.58
- Q1
- 1.95
- Min
- 0.58
A’s P/S Ratio of 5.20 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
HCA
1.27
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.38
- Q3
- 1.50
- Median
- 0.79
- Q1
- 0.49
- Min
- 0.04
HCA’s P/S Ratio of 1.27 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
A
5.64
Medical - Diagnostics & Research Industry
- Max
- 10.67
- Q3
- 5.74
- Median
- 2.95
- Q1
- 1.30
- Min
- 0.39
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Medical - Diagnostics & Research industry.
HCA
-26.69
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 7.73
- Q3
- 4.07
- Median
- 2.16
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- 0.66
HCA has a negative P/B Ratio of -26.69, indicating its liabilities exceed its assets and result in negative shareholder equity. This is a critical warning sign of financial distress.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | A | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 29.67 | 16.25 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 3.80 | 1.21 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 5.20 | 1.27 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 5.64 | -26.69 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 24.63 | 18.31 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 25.95 | 9.67 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 5.51 | 1.90 |