Insider Trading February 18, 2026

HCA Healthcare Executive Disposes of Stock, Exercises SARs in Series of February Transactions

Legal and administrative chief reduces stake through sale and tax-related disposition after exercising stock appreciation rights amid strong quarter and active buyback program

By Nina Shah HCA
HCA Healthcare Executive Disposes of Stock, Exercises SARs in Series of February Transactions
HCA

Michael R. McAlevey, HCA Healthcare's Executive Vice President and Chief Legal and Administrative Officer, completed a set of equity transactions in February 2026 that included an open-market sale, exercise and conversion of stock appreciation rights, and a subsequent disposition to satisfy tax obligations. These moves leave him with a reduced direct stake while the company continues to post strong earnings and execute share repurchases.

Key Points

  • HCA Executive Vice President Michael R. McAlevey sold 1,694 shares on February 18, 2026, for $903,536 and exercised SARs for 5,000 shares on February 13, 2026.
  • After converting SARs to stock, McAlevey sold 3,306 shares on February 13, 2026, to cover tax obligations, yielding $1,786,198; he now directly owns 8,853 shares and indirectly owns 2,111 via a 2024 GRAT and 26 via a managed account.
  • Company-level context: HCA has a $119.7 billion market cap, a P/E of 18.8, a 'GREAT' InvestingPro financial health score, reported Q4 2025 EPS of $8.01 versus $7.45 expected, and saw an analyst price target increase to $541 while maintaining a Market Perform rating.

Michael R. McAlevey, who serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Legal and Administrative Officer at HCA Healthcare, Inc., executed multiple equity transactions in mid-February 2026 that altered his direct and indirect holdings in the company.

According to a Form 4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, McAlevey sold 1,694 shares of HCA common stock on February 18, 2026, at a per-share price of $533.3747, for aggregate proceeds of $903,536. Earlier in the month, on February 13, 2026, he exercised stock appreciation rights (SARs) for 5,000 shares at an exercise price of $236.61, producing a reported total value of $1,183,050.

Following the exercise of those SARs, McAlevey converted the rights into common stock. On the same day as the conversion, he disposed of 3,306 of the resulting shares to cover tax liabilities. That disposition was executed at a price of $540.29 per share, producing proceeds of $1,786,198.

After these combined transactions, the filing shows McAlevey directly owns 8,853 shares of HCA common stock. In addition to his direct holdings, he is reported to indirectly own 2,111 shares through a 2024 grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT) and 26 shares through a managed account.

HCA Healthcare is described in the filing and related analysis as a large-cap health services company with a market capitalization of $119.7 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.8. InvestingPro analysis assigns HCA a "GREAT" overall financial health score. The analysis also notes that management has been an active buyer of shares through the company buyback program, a dynamic that has contributed to a high shareholder yield.

Investors tracking insider moves also had recent operating and analyst developments to consider. HCA reported fourth-quarter 2025 earnings per share of $8.01, beating consensus expectations of $7.45, while recording a modest revenue shortfall versus forecasts. Separately, Bernstein SocGen Group adjusted its price target for HCA from $503 to $541 while maintaining a Market Perform designation. Bernstein cited HCA’s margin efficiency and strong share repurchase capacity as the rationale behind the revised target and noted the results followed what it described as "a solid quarter of execution."

These filings and disclosures provide a snapshot of executive-level liquidity actions set against a backdrop of corporate earnings strength and ongoing capital return activity. The Form 4 details the specific share counts, prices, and dates for McAlevey’s transactions, and the company-level data reflects the recent quarter and analyst positioning disclosed alongside the insider activity.


Note: The factual details concerning share counts, prices, transaction dates, ownership totals, market capitalization, P/E ratio, financial health designation, quarterly EPS, analyst price target change, and analyst commentary are reported as provided in the relevant filings and firm commentary.

Risks

  • Insider dispositions can reduce an individual executive's direct shareholdings, which may alter perceptions of insider alignment with shareholders - this impacts investor sentiment in the equity markets relevant to healthcare stocks.
  • A slight revenue miss in the reported quarter introduces uncertainty about near-term top-line trends even as EPS beat expectations - this can affect valuation outlooks for HCA and peer healthcare services companies.
  • Analyst ratings and price target adjustments, while informative, do not guarantee future performance and leave open the risk that subsequent quarters or capital allocation decisions could diverge from current analyst expectations.

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