HCA Healthcare Stock Climbs 0.82% on Antitrust Settlement but Ranks 283rd in Market Activity with 360M Volume

On August 14, 2025, HCA Healthcare (HCA) rose 0.82% with a trading volume of $0.36 billion, a 35.31% decline from the previous day, ranking 283rd in market activity. The stock’s performance followed a resolution to a three-year antitrust lawsuit involving HCA, Mission Health, and western North Carolina municipalities. The settlement requires Mission Health to donate $1 million to a charitable fund for low-income healthcare and extend Transylvania Regional Hospital’s operations by three years beyond its original 10-year commitment. While HCA and Mission Health denied any antitrust violations, the agreement includes additional commitments to improve local healthcare infrastructure, including adult day care services and trauma center verification for Mission Hospital.

The lawsuit, initiated in June 2022, alleged that HCA’s acquisition of Mission Health stifled competition, inflated prices, and limited patient choice. Plaintiffs argued that HCA exacerbated anticompetitive practices through restrictive contracts, such as “all-or-nothing” insurance agreements and gag clauses. Despite the settlement, HCA faces ongoing scrutiny, including a 2023 state lawsuit over alleged quality-of-care issues and a Wake Forest University study highlighting staff reductions and physician departures post-acquisition. These legal and operational challenges underscore regulatory and reputational risks for the healthcare giant, which operates the largest hospital network in the U.S.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day from 2022 to the present delivered moderate returns. The 1-day return was 0.98%, with a total return of 31.52% over 365 days. This indicates the strategy captured some short-term momentum but was subject to market fluctuations. It performed best in June 2023, with returns of 7.02%, and worst in September 2022, with a return of -4.20%.