GEHC vs. HCA: GE HealthCare vs. HCA Healthcare Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA) both fall under the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group, but GEHC is classified in Health Care Equipment & Supplies while HCA is classified in Health Care Providers & Services.

Company profile comparison for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
Profile Item	GEHC	HCA
Name	GE HealthCare Technologies Inc.	HCA Healthcare, Inc.
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Health Care
GICS Industry Group	Health Care Equipment & Services	Health Care Equipment & Services
GICS Industry	Health Care Equipment & Supplies	Health Care Providers & Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Health Care Equipment	Health Care Facilities
Market Capitalization	37.25 billion USD	103.40 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	NYSE
Listing Date	December 15, 2022	March 10, 2011
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

GEHC

HCA

GSPC

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
Metric	GEHC	HCA
Total Return (1Y)	14.21%	6.56%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	7.01%	31.39%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	--	16.40%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

GEHC

HCA

GSPC

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
Metric	GEHC	HCA
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	35.93%	32.89%
Beta (5Y)	0.69	1.07
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-37.35%	-39.49%
Avg. Volume (3M)	3.56M	1.35M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

GEHC and HCA are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
Metric	GEHC	HCA
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.28	0.07
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.41	0.11

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: GE HealthCare (GEHC) earns 20.01% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; HCA Healthcare (HCA) has no ROE this period.

GEHC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

20.01%

Max: 47.61%
GEHC: 20.01%
Q3: 14.36%
Median: 5.45%
Q1: -10.67%
Min: -47.01%

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

Max: 47.61%
Q3: 14.36%
Median: 5.45%
Q1: -10.67%
Min: -47.01%
HCA: --

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): HCA does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; GEHC is benchmarked against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

GE HealthCare (GEHC) at 9.95% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 8.61%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

GEHC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

9.95%

Max: 29.35%
GEHC: 9.95%
Q3: 9.33%
Median: 2.18%
Q1: -6.29%
Min: -28.46%

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

8.61%

Max: 29.35%
Q3: 9.33%
HCA: 8.61%
Median: 2.18%
Q1: -6.29%
Min: -28.46%

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their net margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both GE HealthCare (GEHC) at 15.33% and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 14.83% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

GEHC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

15.33%

Max: 35.43%
GEHC: 15.33%
Q3: 14.14%
Median: 6.81%
Q1: -0.28%
Min: -16.29%

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

14.83%

Max: 35.43%
HCA: 14.83%
Q3: 14.14%
Median: 6.81%
Q1: -0.28%
Min: -16.29%

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their operating margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
Metric	GEHC	HCA
ROE (TTM)	20.01%	--
ROA (TTM)	4.99%	12.23%
Net Margin (TTM)	9.95%	8.61%
Operating Margin (TTM)	15.33%	14.83%
Gross Margin (TTM)	39.29%	42.76%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both GE HealthCare (GEHC) at 4.84% and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 7.08% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 28.77% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while GE HealthCare (GEHC) at 4.84% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for HCA.

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
Metric	GEHC	HCA
Revenue Growth (YoY)	4.84%	7.08%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	3.99%	7.87%
EPS Growth (YoY)	4.84%	28.77%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	-0.58%	13.94%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both GE HealthCare (GEHC) at 1.30 and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 0.82 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

GEHC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.30

Max: 7.59
Q3: 4.00
Median: 1.98
Q1: 1.37
GEHC: 1.30
Min: 0.30

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.82

Max: 7.59
Q3: 4.00
Median: 1.98
Q1: 1.37
HCA: 0.82
Min: 0.30

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their current ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: GE HealthCare (GEHC) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88 against its industry range, while HCA Healthcare (HCA) reports no figure this period.

GEHC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.88

Max: 1.88
Q3: 0.91
GEHC: 0.88
Median: 0.58
Q1: 0.16
Min: 0.00

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

Max: 1.88
Q3: 0.91
Median: 0.58
Q1: 0.16
Min: 0.00
HCA: --

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): HCA does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; GEHC is benchmarked against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
Metric	GEHC	HCA
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.30	0.82
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.88	--
Net Debt / EBITDA	2.11	3.26

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both GE HealthCare (GEHC) at 0.17% and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 0.60% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

GEHC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.17%

GEHC: 0.17%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.60%

HCA: 0.60%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both GE HealthCare (GEHC) at 2.96% and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 10.15% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

GEHC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

2.96%

GEHC: 2.96%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

10.15%

HCA: 10.15%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
Metric	GEHC	HCA
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.17%	0.60%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	2.96%	10.15%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both GE HealthCare (GEHC) at 17.42 and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 16.42 sit in the cheaper earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, with the market paying less for a dollar of trailing earnings than it pays for typical peers.

GEHC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

17.42

Max: 80.41
Q3: 47.62
Median: 29.93
Q1: 21.19
GEHC: 17.42
Min: 4.21

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

16.42

Max: 80.41
Q3: 47.62
Median: 29.93
Q1: 21.19
HCA: 16.42
Min: 4.21

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both GE HealthCare (GEHC) at 1.72 and HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 1.31 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

GEHC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.72

Max: 8.80
Q3: 4.32
Median: 2.13
GEHC: 1.72
Q1: 1.10
Min: 0.03

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.31

Max: 8.80
Q3: 4.32
Median: 2.13
HCA: 1.31
Q1: 1.10
Min: 0.03

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

HCA Healthcare (HCA) reports a negative P/B ratio of -12.92, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile GE HealthCare (GEHC) reports 3.21, ranking against industry peers normally.

GEHC

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

3.21

Max: 11.68
Q3: 6.12
GEHC: 3.21
Median: 3.00
Q1: 1.73
Min: -1.31

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

-12.92

Max: 11.68
Q3: 6.12
Median: 3.00
Q1: 1.73
Min: -1.31
HCA: -12.92

GE HealthCare (GEHC) vs. HCA Healthcare (HCA): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for GE HealthCare (GEHC) and HCA Healthcare (HCA)
Metric	GEHC	HCA
P/E Ratio (TTM)	17.42	16.42
P/S Ratio (TTM)	1.72	1.31
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	3.21	-12.92
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	4.92%	3.81%