HCA Holdings Inc (HCA): Today's Featured Health Services Winner

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

HCA Holdings ( HCA) pushed the Health Services industry higher today making it today's featured health services winner. The industry as a whole was unchanged today. By the end of trading, HCA Holdings rose $1.14 (3.4%) to $34.99 on average volume. Throughout the day, 5.9 million shares of HCA Holdings exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 4.3 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $33.68-$35.17 after having opened the day at $33.71 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $33.85. Other companies within the Health Services industry that increased today were: CombiMatrix Corporation ( CBMX), up 7.1%, Fonar Corporation ( FONR), up 5.6%, Globus Medical Inc Class A ( GMED), up 5.5%, and Cutera ( CUTR), up 5.1%.
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HCA Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides health care services in the United States. HCA Holdings has a market cap of $14.66 billion and is part of the health care sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 4.9, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 10% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday. Currently there are 16 analysts that rate HCA Holdings a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and two rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates HCA Holdings as a sell. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its poor profit margins and feeble growth in its earnings per share.

On the negative front, Given Imaging ( GIVN), down 11.5%, Stereotaxis ( STXS), down 10.3%, ERBA Diagnostics ( ERB), down 10.1%, and Edap TMS ( EDAP), down 5.3%, were all laggards within the health services industry with Edwards Life ( EW) being today's health services industry laggard.

For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the health services industry could consider Health Care Select Sector SPDR ( XLV) while those bearish on the health services industry could consider ProShares Ultra Short Health Care ( RXD).

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