Which has the lower trailing P/E, CVS or HCA?

HCA has the lower trailing P/E: CVS trades at 24.78 and HCA at 13.63. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CVS or HCA?

Over the past five years, CVS grew revenue faster — CVS at a 8.32% CAGR versus HCA at 6.85%.

Does CVS or HCA pay a bigger dividend?

CVS yields 2.84% and HCA yields 0.74% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is CVS or HCA more profitable?

HCA runs the higher net margin — CVS at 1.18% versus HCA at 8.77%.

How have CVS and HCA total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CVS delivered 2.77% and HCA delivered 19.39% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

CVS Health Corp. (CVS) vs HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA)

A side-by-side comparison of CVS Health Corp. and HCA Healthcare, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of August 20, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

CVS

CVS Health Corp.

$119.49B

$93.65HealthcareAt close: Aug 19, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

HCA

HCA Healthcare, Inc.

$88.13B

$407.05HealthcareAt close: Aug 19, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

Total return — CVS vs HCA

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CVS +30.6% (+2.7%/yr)HCA +486.2% (+19.3%/yr)HCA compounded faster over this window

CVS HCA

CVS vs HCA: by the numbers

•CVS is the larger company ($119.49B vs $88.13B market cap).
•HCA trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (13.63 vs 24.78 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•HCA converts more revenue to profit (8.77% vs 1.18% net margin).
•CVS grew revenue faster over the past five years (8.32% vs 6.85% CAGR).
•CVS pays the higher dividend yield (2.84% vs 0.74%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CVS	HCA
P/E ratio	24.78	13.63
Forward P/E	12.24	13.76
P/S ratio	0.29	1.16
P/B ratio	1.51	N/A
EV / EBITDA	14.45	8.79
FCF yield	9.78%	6.61%

Profitability

Metric	CVS	HCA
Gross margin	14.15%	41.50%
Operating margin	2.00%	15.48%
Net margin	1.18%	8.77%
ROE	6.16%	-112.56%
ROIC	4.14%	19.41%

Dividends

Metric	CVS	HCA
Dividend yield	2.84%	0.74%
Payout ratio	190.00%	10.48%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CVS	HCA
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	8.32%	6.85%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-23.89%	20.90%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-10.28%	56.45%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	5.57%	11.48%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CVS or HCA?: HCA has the lower trailing P/E: CVS trades at 24.78 and HCA at 13.63. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CVS or HCA?: Over the past five years, CVS grew revenue faster — CVS at a 8.32% CAGR versus HCA at 6.85%.
Does CVS or HCA pay a bigger dividend?: CVS yields 2.84% and HCA yields 0.74% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is CVS or HCA more profitable?: HCA runs the higher net margin — CVS at 1.18% versus HCA at 8.77%.
How have CVS and HCA total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CVS delivered 2.77% and HCA delivered 19.39% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CVS analysis Full HCA analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

CVS Health P/E ratio HCA Healthcare P/E ratio CVS Health dividend yield HCA Healthcare dividend yield CVS Health ROE HCA Healthcare ROE CVS Health operating margin HCA Healthcare operating margin CVS Health revenue growth HCA Healthcare revenue growth CVS Health free cash flow HCA Healthcare free cash flow

CVS Health & HCA Healthcare appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified August 20, 2026.