BUZZ-Hospital operators set to end year higher

Shares of hospital operators are set to end the year on a high as they have benefited from a higher demand for healthcare services

HCA Healthcare HCA.N stock rose 11.6% higher, while Tenet Healthcare THC.N stock gained 68.7% - second straight year in green

Universal Health Services UHS.N rose 17.5% this year - on track for its third year of gains

Demand for medical care has been strong in the United States over the past quarters

Although the favorable trends should continue in 2025, the setup for 2026 appears more cautious with a potential rollover in volumes and regulatory uncertainty with the Trump administration creating challenges for hospitals, J.P.Morgan analysts said in a note earlier this month

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru)

((Sriparna.Roy@thomsonreuters.com;))