HCA Healthcare Inc. (NYSE:HCA)

The revenue of the company exhibited a consistent upward trend over the analyzed period. Starting from approximately 29.7 billion US dollars in 2011, revenues increased almost every year, reaching nearly 58.8 billion US dollars by 2021. This steady growth indicates expanding business operations and potentially increasing market share or service demand.

Net income attributable to the company showed more variability compared to revenues. It was around 2.5 billion US dollars in 2011, then dropped notably in 2012 to approximately 1.6 billion, remaining relatively flat in 2013. From 2014, net income generally trended upward with some fluctuations: increasing to about 2.1 billion in 2015, then rising sharply to 2.9 billion in 2016, followed by a decline to roughly 2.2 billion in 2017. Subsequently, net income increased significantly to 3.8 billion in 2018, dropped slightly to 3.5 billion in 2019, then rose again in 2020 to around 3.8 billion.

Notably, there was a substantial jump in net income in 2021, reaching approximately 7.0 billion US dollars, nearly doubling the previous year's figure. This sharp increase may result from improved operational efficiency, one-time gains, or other financial factors impacting profitability.

Overall, while revenues showed a stable and continuous rise throughout the years, net income demonstrated more pronounced fluctuations but an underlying upward trajectory, particularly marked by the significant growth in 2021. This may suggest a combination of increasing scale and episodic changes affecting profit margins or extraordinary financial events.

The financial data reveals a consistent upward trend in both current assets and total assets over the period from 2011 to 2021. Current assets show a steady increase year over year, rising from 7,233 million US dollars in 2011 to 13,542 million US dollars in 2021. This growth indicates a strengthening liquidity position and potentially enhanced ability to meet short-term obligations.

Total assets have similarly expanded, starting at 26,898 million US dollars in 2011 and reaching 50,742 million US dollars by 2021. This represents nearly a doubling in the size of total assets during the decade, reflecting substantial growth in the company’s asset base. The increase year over year suggests ongoing investment and acquisition of assets, which may support operational capacity and future revenue generation.

Overall, the data demonstrates positive financial development, with steady asset growth implying an improving scale of operations and potentially stronger financial stability.

Current Liabilities

The current liabilities exhibited a generally increasing trend over the period from 2011 to 2021. Starting at $5,554 million in 2011, these liabilities rose with some fluctuations, reaching a notable peak of $9,582 million by the end of 2021. The increase was relatively steady, with only minor decreases observed in 2013 and 2014.

Long-Term Debt

Long-term debt showed a gradual upward movement from $27,052 million in 2011 to $34,579 million in 2021. There were some variability within this period, with the highest value observed in 2021. A slight decrease is apparent between 2019 and 2020, followed by a significant increase in 2021, suggesting a possible strategic borrowing or refinancing decision near the end of the analysis period.

Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit) Attributable to HCA Healthcare, Inc.

The stockholders’ equity, initially in deficit, fluctuated notably throughout the period. Starting with a deficit of $8,258 million in 2011, the deficit deepened to its lowest point in 2012 at -$9,660 million. Subsequently, there was a trend toward reduction in the deficit, with equity improving steadily, reaching a positive value of $572 million in 2020. However, this improvement was not sustained, as the equity slipped back into deficit at -$933 million in 2021. This volatility indicates challenges in maintaining consistent equity growth and suggests periods of financial restructuring or changes in retained earnings and other equity components.

Operating Activities Cash Flow

The net cash provided by operating activities showed an overall upward trend from 2011 to 2021. Starting at $3,933 million in 2011, it experienced fluctuations but generally increased, reaching a peak of $9,232 million in 2020. There was a slight decrease to $8,959 million in 2021, indicating strong but slightly declining operational cash flow in the most recent year.

Investing Activities Cash Flow

Net cash used in investing activities remained negative throughout the period, reflecting consistent investment outflows. The cash outflows fluctuated considerably, with the lowest outflow recorded in 2012 at -$2,063 million, and the highest in 2019 at -$5,720 million. From 2017 to 2019, there was a marked increase in investment cash outflows, which then sharply decreased in 2020 and further in 2021, suggesting a reduction in investment activity following a period of heavy spending.

Financing Activities Cash Flow

The net cash used in financing activities was consistently negative, indicating ongoing cash outflows related to financing. These outflows varied markedly over time, reaching a peak outflow of -$6,655 million in 2021, the highest during the period. Earlier years, such as 2016, exhibited significant outflows as well (-$2,508 million), but the pattern shows variable financing cash usage, with notable spikes in 2018, 2020, and 2021. This suggests periodic large repayments or reductions in financing liabilities or other financing cash uses.

Overall Trends

The company demonstrated strong operational cash generation, which increased substantially over the examined period. Investment activities consistently consumed cash, with pronounced spikes in 2017-2019 before tapering off. Financing activities consistently used cash, with recent years showing pronounced increases in outflows. The data indicates a pattern where increasing operational cash flow is likely being used to support investment and financing outflows, potentially reflecting strategic expansion and deleveraging measures.

Basic Earnings Per Share (EPS)

Between 2011 and 2013, the basic EPS showed a declining trend, decreasing from 5.17 US$ in 2011 to 3.5 US$ in 2013. From 2014 onwards, there was a general upward trend, with some fluctuations, rising to 5.14 US$ in 2015, and then peaking at 7.53 US$ in 2016. After a slight dip in 2017 to 6.12 US$, EPS increased significantly to 10.9 US$ by 2018. The values remained relatively stable around 10 US$ for 2019 and 2020, followed by a sharp increase to 21.52 US$ in 2021. This reflects substantial improvement in earnings per share in the later years, with notable growth in the last reporting period.

Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS)

The diluted EPS exhibits a pattern similar to the basic EPS over the period, starting at 4.97 US$ in 2011 and gradually declining to 3.37 US$ by 2013. A recovery phase followed, with diluted EPS rising to 4.99 US$ in 2015 and then a substantial increase to 7.3 US$ and 5.95 US$ in 2016 and 2017 respectively. From 2018 through 2020, the diluted EPS remained buoyant, hovering around 10 US$, before surging to 21.16 US$ in 2021. This parallel trend with basic EPS indicates consistency in earnings performance under dilution effects.

Dividend Per Share

Dividend payments per share were not reported from 2011 through 2017. Starting in 2018, dividends were initiated at 1.4 US$ per share and increased modestly to 1.6 US$ in 2019. In 2020, there was a significant decline in the dividend payment to 0.43 US$, followed by a recovery to 1.92 US$ in 2021, which exceeds the initial dividend levels observed in 2018 and 2019. The dividend pattern suggests an introduction of shareholder returns in 2018 and some volatility thereafter, potentially reflecting shifting corporate earnings and distribution policies.