HCA Health Inc vs Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock — how do they compare? HCA Health Inc trades at $475 (market cap $99.75B), while Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock trades at $39.82 (market cap $11.15B). The key difference: HCA Health Inc is far larger — about 8.9× Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock's market cap, and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock pays the higher dividend (3.67%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold HCA Health Inc for 76 Days and Essential Utilities Inc. Common Stock for 0 Days on average.
| HCA | WTRG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $99.75B | $11.15B |
Volume | 1,083,231 | 1,760,234 |
Sector | Health | Utilities |
52-Week High | $545.13 | $42.00 |
52-Week Low | $361.32 | $36.25 |
Typical Hold Time | 76 Days | 0 Days |
Enterprise Value | $150.29B | $19.66B |
Dividend Yield | 0.68% | 3.67% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
HCA Healthcare's stock trades at $470.44, up 2.58% today, with a bullish technical outlook and strong earnings beats in recent quarters. Revenue grew to $75.60B in 2025, with a net income margin of 8.77%, while the P/E ratio of 15.45 suggests reasonable valuation. Recent news includes an upcoming Q3 2026 earnings call and ongoing legal investigations, creating mixed sentiment.
The outlook is positive due to consistent earnings performance and analyst buy ratings, but risks include high debt levels and regulatory scrutiny. Investment opportunity lies in operational efficiency and demand growth, though investors should monitor legal developments and debt management.
WTRG trades at $39.29, up 0.36% with neutral technical signals. The stock shows mixed earnings performance with two beats and one miss in recent quarters, while maintaining strong profitability margins (21.6% net income margin). Analyst consensus is bullish with a $44.50 price target, supported by ongoing acquisitions and pending merger developments with American Water.
The stock presents a stable utility investment with moderate growth potential through strategic acquisitions, though near-term earnings volatility and integration risks from the pending merger warrant caution. Current valuation at 20.15 P/E appears reasonable given the company's consistent cash flow generation and defensive sector positioning.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
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 →Essential Utilities Inc. is a holding company for regulated water, wastewater, and natural gas utilities, operating under the Aqua and Peoples brands. It serves customers across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Indiana, Virginia, and Kentucky.
Read more on WTRG →