HCA Shares Hit on Guidance

Shares of HCA(HCA Quote - Cramer on HCA - Stock Picks) fell Wednesday after the company affirmed its full-year profit forecast but previewed a second quarter laden with special items and said uninsured hospital admissions rose.

For the full year, HCA expects to earn $3.05 to $3.20 a share before gains on asset sales, impairment charges and tax settlements. The Thomson First Call consensus for the year is $3.17 a share.

HCA expects to report net income of 88 cents to 92 cents a share in the just-completed second quarter. The earnings include a tax gain of 11 cents a share related to asset sales; a previously deferred gain of 4 cents a share for the sale of office buildings; a reserve reversal of 5 cents a share; and additional depreciation of 4 cents a share.

Backing all that out, earnings would be roughly 68 cents to 72 cents a share. The Thomson First Call consensus, which might not be comparable to the latter numbers, calls for second-quarter earnings of 77 cents a share.

The stock was recently down $1.61, or 3%, to $53.30.

HCA said same-facility admissions are expected to fall 0.3% in the second quarter compared with a year earlier, while same-facility equivalent admissions are expected to rise 1.2%. The company's provision for doubtful accounts should be $541 million, or 8.9% of revenue, in the second quarter compared with $661 million, or 8.9% of revenue, a year ago. The company said uninsured patient admissions rose 5% in the second quarter over last year.