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DaVita vs HCA Healthcare: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

HCA Healthcare leads structurally, with profitability as the clearest single gap between the two profiles. DaVita still has the edge on growth, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. In the market, DaVita carries the stronger setup — intact trend against HCA Healthcare's broken trend. That leaves a split case: the structural lead stays with HCA Healthcare, but the market is not currently confirming it.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

Profitability is the clearest driver, while growth keeps the result from looking one-way.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Medical Care Facilities

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. DVA and HCA share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how DaVita and HCA Healthcare each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
DVA
DaVita Inc.
60
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
HCA
HCA Healthcare, Inc.
67
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The clearest separation appears in profitability.

Dimension spread: DVA vs HCA Profitability 46 86 Stability 51 58 Valuation 80 81 Growth 59 28 DVA HCA
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +40
#2 Growth +31
#3 Stability +7
#4 Valuation +1
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for DVA and HCA Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer DVAHCA Relative valuation Structural strength

The structural gap is limited here, but current pricing still leans against DaVita Inc..

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where DVA and HCA each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY DVA Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 11 pct gap HCA Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 99th 88th
DVA (99th percentile) and HCA (88th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Both profiles are strong on profitability, but HCA Healthcare, Inc. leads clearly.
Growth
DaVita Inc. sits in the stronger part of the group on growth, while HCA Healthcare, Inc. is closer to mid-pack.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
DVA
46
HCA
86
Gap+40in favour of HCA

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 9.7-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Earnings growth also leans toward DVA, which keeps the score lead from reading as a full growth sweep.

What this means for the comparison

Profitability gives HCA Healthcare, Inc. the clearer edge, even though growth and the price setup keep the overall picture from looking clean.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the DVA vs HCA comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how DVA and HCA each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.