Seek Returns

HCA vs. SYK: HCA Healthcare vs. Stryker Stock Comparison

How do HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK) 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

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

Company profile comparison for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK)
Profile ItemHCASYK
NameHCA Healthcare, Inc.Stryker Corp.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorHealth CareHealth Care
GICS Industry GroupHealth Care Equipment & ServicesHealth Care Equipment & Services
GICS IndustryHealth Care Providers & ServicesHealth Care Equipment & Supplies
GICS Sub-IndustryHealth Care FacilitiesHealth Care Equipment
Market Capitalization103.40 billion USD124.06 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateMarch 10, 2011March 17, 1980
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

HCA
SYK
GSPC
Loading price history…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK), 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

Loading price history…
Trailing total returns for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

Loading price history…
Calendar-year total returns for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricHCASYK
Total Return (1Y)6.56%-6.99%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)31.39%7.60%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)16.40%4.64%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

HCA
SYK
GSPC
Loading price history…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK), 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

Loading price history…
Distribution of monthly total returns for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricHCASYK
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)32.89%32.80%
Beta (5Y)1.070.72
Max Drawdown (5Y)-39.49%-32.47%
Avg. Volume (3M)1.35M2.81M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Loading chart…
HCA and SYK 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 HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricHCASYK
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.07-0.34
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.11-0.49

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Stryker (SYK) earns 16.02% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; HCA Healthcare (HCA) has no ROE this period.

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

--

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

16.02%

Max
47.61%
SYK
16.02%
Q3
14.36%
Median
5.45%
Q1
-10.67%
Min
-47.01%
Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): HCA does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; SYK is benchmarked against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

Stryker (SYK) at 13.78% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 8.61%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

13.78%

Max
29.35%
SYK
13.78%
Q3
9.33%
Median
2.18%
Q1
-6.29%
Min
-28.46%
Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their net margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 14.83% and Stryker (SYK) at 22.96% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

22.96%

Max
35.43%
SYK
22.96%
Q3
14.14%
Median
6.81%
Q1
-0.28%
Min
-16.29%
Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their operating margin against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricHCASYK
ROE (TTM)--16.02%
ROA (TTM)12.23%8.36%
Net Margin (TTM)8.61%13.78%
Operating Margin (TTM)14.83%22.96%
Gross Margin (TTM)42.76%65.70%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 7.08% and Stryker (SYK) at 11.16% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): 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 Stryker (SYK) at 8.25% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for HCA.

Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricHCASYK
Revenue Growth (YoY)7.08%11.16%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)7.87%10.83%
EPS Growth (YoY)28.77%8.25%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)13.94%10.83%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Stryker (SYK) at 2.18 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 0.82 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for HCA.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

2.18

Max
7.59
Q3
4.00
SYK
2.18
Median
1.98
Q1
1.37
Min
0.30
Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): 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: Stryker (SYK) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66 against its industry range, while HCA Healthcare (HCA) reports no figure this period.

HCA

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

--

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

0.66

Max
1.88
Q3
0.91
SYK
0.66
Median
0.58
Q1
0.16
Min
0.00
Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): HCA does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; SYK is benchmarked against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricHCASYK
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.822.18
Debt / Equity (MRQ)--0.66
Net Debt / EBITDA3.261.62

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 0.60% and Stryker (SYK) at 1.05% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

1.05%

SYK
1.05%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 10.15% and Stryker (SYK) at 37.49% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

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%

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

37.49%

SYK
37.49%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricHCASYK
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.60%1.05%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)10.15%37.49%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 16.42 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Stryker (SYK) at 34.70 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for HCA, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

34.70

Max
80.41
Q3
47.62
SYK
34.70
Median
29.93
Q1
21.19
Min
4.21
Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

HCA Healthcare (HCA) at 1.31 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Stryker (SYK) at 4.72 sits in the pricier quartile — SYK costs more per dollar of sales.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

4.72

Max
8.80
SYK
4.72
Q3
4.32
Median
2.13
Q1
1.10
Min
0.03
Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): 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 Stryker (SYK) reports 5.29, ranking against industry peers normally.

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

SYK

Health Care Equipment & Services industry group

5.29

Max
11.68
Q3
6.12
SYK
5.29
Median
3.00
Q1
1.73
Min
-1.31
Loading chart…
HCA Healthcare (HCA) vs. Stryker (SYK): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for HCA Healthcare (HCA) and Stryker (SYK)
MetricHCASYK
P/E Ratio (TTM)16.4234.70
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.314.72
P/B Ratio (MRQ)-12.925.29
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)3.81%2.98%