AES Corp vs HCA Health Inc — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.73 (market cap $10.49B), while HCA Health Inc trades at $409.15 (market cap $89.08B). The key difference: HCA Health Inc is far larger — about 8.5× AES Corp's market cap, and AES Corp pays the higher dividend (4.79%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | HCA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.49B | $89.08B |
Sector | Utilities | Health |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $545.13 |
52-Week Low | $12.51 | $361.32 |
Enterprise Value | $40.75B | $139.62B |
Dividend Yield | 4.79% | 0.76% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AES trades at $14.73, unchanged on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a pending acquisition by Global Infrastructure Partners and EQT at $15 per share. The company reported revenue of $12.23B in 2025, with a net income margin of 7.43%, and has beaten earnings estimates in two of the last three quarters. Valuation ratios appear attractive with a P/E of 5.51 and P/S of 0.81, while cash flow from operations improved to $4.31B in 2025.
The outlook is dominated by the acquisition, offering a capped upside to $15. Strong profitability metrics like a 45.05% ROE and a 4.8% dividend yield provide support, but risks include shareholder litigation and regulatory scrutiny over the deal. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 42.86% buy ratings, reflecting uncertainty until transaction closure.
HCA Healthcare trades at $414.03, up 0.16% today, with strong technical momentum as price sits above key support levels. The company demonstrates solid fundamentals with Q2 2026 earnings beating estimates, revenue growth to $75.6B in 2025, and consistent dividend payments. Recent management appointments signal strategic focus on clinical operations and ambulatory services.
HCA presents a compelling investment case with attractive valuation (P/E 13.8), analyst consensus price target of $449.93 (8.7% upside), and strong institutional support. However, risks include ongoing legal investigations, rising expenses impacting margins, and high debt levels at 80.9% debt-to-asset ratio that could constrain financial flexibility.
Trailing returns across standard periods
AES is a global power company operating across 14 countries and 4 continents. Its current generation portfolio as of year-end 2021 consists of over 31 gigawatts of generation, with the generation mix composed of renewables (43%), gas (32%), coal (23%), and oil (2%). The company has 3.5 gigawatts of generation under construction. AES has majority ownership and operates six electric utilities distributing power to 2.6 million customers.
Read more on AES →HCA Healthcare is a Nashville-based healthcare provider organization operating the largest collection of acute-care hospitals in the U.S. As of December 2021, the firm owned and operated 182 hospitals, 125 freestanding outpatient surgery centers, and a broad network of physician offices, urgent care clinics, and freestanding emergency rooms across nearly 20 states and a small foothold in England.
Read more on HCA →