Building an investment portfolio from scratch can be difficult, especially if you're new to investing. It's easy to feel overwhelmed with so many different investment options out there, but focusing on stocks that are set to outperform the market over the next 12 months is an excellent place to start.

Let's now take a look at one standout stock that could be a perfect fit for your portfolio.

Why You Should Pay Attention to HCA Healthcare (HCA)

HCA Healthcare is the largest non-governmental operator of acute care hospitals in the United States. Headquartered in Nashville, TN, it operates hospitals and related health care entities. At the end of 2024, the company operated 190 hospitals and approximately 2,400 ambulatory sites of care, including surgery centers, freestanding emergency rooms, urgent care centers and physician clinics, in 20 states and the United Kingdom.

On January 7, 2019, HCA was added to the Zacks Focus List at $123.39 per share. Shares have increased 177.3% to $342.16 since then.

Three analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2025, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.07 to $24.98. HCA also boasts an average earnings surprise of 5.9%.

Earnings for HCA Healthcare are forecasted to see growth of 13.8% for the current fiscal year as well.

It can be very profitable to buy stocks with rising earnings estimates, as stock prices respond to revisions. By adding a Focus List stock like HCA, there's a great chance you'll be getting into a company whose future earnings estimates will be raised, which can lead to price momentum.

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HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) : Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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