Auriga Has Buy on HCA Holdings

Auriga is out with a research report on HCA Holdings, Inc. HCA and it has a Buy rating and a $28 price target on shares. In a note to clients, Auriga writes, "We are slightly lowering our 3Q11 revenue and EPS estimates to adjust for lower volume growth in September in HCA markets, and assuming that Medicare acuity in the quarter was flat relative to 2Q. That being said, we believe any incrementally positive commentary from management related to acuity levels (ex. recruiting cardiac surgery group) should be a positive catalyst for HCA shares. Our 2011 EPS remains the same at this time as we assume slightly better margins in 4Q vs. previous projection, driven by company's focused cost management and stabilization in bad debts." Shares of HCA closed at $19.10 yesterday.