HCA Health Inc vs SYSCO Corporation — how do they compare? HCA Health Inc trades at $373.29 (market cap $82.17B), while SYSCO Corporation trades at $81.33 (market cap $38.63B). The key difference: HCA Health Inc is far larger — about 2.1× SYSCO Corporation's market cap, and SYSCO Corporation pays the higher dividend (2.72%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HCA | SYY | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $82.17B | $38.63B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $545.13 | $91.16 |
52-Week Low | $334.32 | $69.30 |
Enterprise Value | $131.08B | $52.11B |
Dividend Yield | 0.84% | 2.72% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
HCA Healthcare trades at $373.09, up 0.51% with bearish technical signals despite strong fundamentals. The company reported Q2 2026 preliminary revenue above expectations but cut full-year profit guidance, causing recent stock pressure. Analyst consensus remains bullish with a $469.40 price target, though multiple law firms are investigating potential securities law violations following the guidance revision.
Investment outlook balances strong operational performance against near-term headwinds. The stock offers value with a 12.76 P/E ratio and consistent earnings beats, but faces risks from rising expenses, payer mix challenges, and ongoing legal investigations. Institutional sentiment remains positive despite technical weakness and recent guidance concerns.
SYY trades at $81.22, down 0.58% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The company reported mixed Q1 2026 earnings, missing EPS expectations of $0.945 with $0.94, but maintains strong revenue growth, reaching $81.37B in 2025. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $84.75 price target, and the upcoming Q4 2026 earnings report on August 4 is a key catalyst. Recent news highlights operational efficiency gains and AI integration, including a Newsweek AI Impact Award.
SYY presents a moderate buy opportunity with upside to the consensus target, supported by stable cash flow and dividend payments. Risks include thin net margins of 2.08% and elevated debt levels, with long-term debt at $11.51B. The stock's valuation is reasonable with a P/E of 22.44, but margin pressure and economic sensitivity in the food distribution sector warrant caution.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Sysco is the largest U.S. food-service distributor, boasting 17% market share of the highly fragmented food-service distribution industry. Sysco distributes over 400,000 food and nonfood products to restaurants (63% of revenue), healthcare facilities (8%), education and government buildings (8%), travel and leisure (7%), and other locations (14%) where individuals consume away-from-home meals. In fiscal 2022, 82% of the firm's revenue was U.S.-based, with 7% from Canada, 4% from the U.K., 2% from France, and 4% other.
Read more on SYY →