HCA Healthcare falls on tariffs uncertainty despite profit beat

Hospital operator HCA Healthcare's HCA.N shares fall 5.4% to $322.7

HCA beat Q1 profit estimates and reiterates 2025 profit forecast as the hospital operator benefited from sustained demand for elective procedures in the United States

"Company is unclear about the effects of federal policy changes on its business," says CEO Samuel Hazen

"Company could not give specifics on potential tariff effects, and the market appears to be reacting negatively to that uncertainty despite the strong results that HCA delivered in early 2025," says Morningstar analyst Julie Utterback

HCA posts Q1 profit of $6.45/share, above analysts' estimate of $5.76/share, according to data compiled by LSEG

Co maintains its annual profit forecast in range of $24.05-$25.85/share vs est. of $24.92/share

As of last close, HCA up 13.8% YTD