HCA Holdings Q1 Profit Rises, Adj. Earnings Miss Estimates; Backs Full-year View

(RTTNews) - Hospital operator HCA Holdings, Inc. (HCA) Tuesday reported first-quarter net income attributable to the company of $347 million or $0.76 per share, up from $344 million or $0.74 per share in the prior year.

The company said its recent-quarter results included gains on sales of facilities of $21 million, or $0.03 per share, and also include legal claim costs of $78 million, or $0.11 per share.

Excluding items, adjusted earnings for the recent quarter totaled $0.84 per share, while the company posted $0.79 per share last year.

On average, 24 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to earn $0.85 per share for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items.

Revenues for the quarter grew 4.6% to $8.83 billion from $8.44 billion a year earlier. Analysts estimated revenues of $8.91 billion for the quarter.

The company also reaffirmed its previously issued financial guidance ranges for 2014. Earlier, the company forecast 2014 adjusted earnings in a range of $3.45 to $3.75 per share, on revenues between $35.50 billion and $36.50 billion.

Street is currently looking for full-year 2014 earnings of $3.71 per share, on revenues of $36.22 billion for the year.