Operating Cash Flow
HCA Healthcare Operating Cash Flow decreased by 14.6% to $2.01B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 22.0%, from $1.65B to $2.01B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Operating Cash Flow shows an upward trend with a 9.0% CAGR. This decline may warrant attention — for this metric, higher values are generally preferred.
Analysis
How to read this metric
Consistently high operating cash flow indicates a healthy, self-sustaining business capable of funding its own growth and returning capital to shareholders.
Detailed definition
Net cash from operating activities measures the total amount of cash generated by a company's core business operations....
Peer comparison
Investors often compare this to capital expenditures to calculate Free Cash Flow, a primary valuation metric for mature tech giants.
net_cash_from_operatingHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | Q1 '26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $2.25B | $2.28B | $2.44B | $1.35B | $1.63B | $3.02B | $2.53B | $1.80B | $2.48B | $2.48B | $2.67B | $2.47B | $1.97B | $3.52B | $2.56B | $1.65B | $4.21B | $4.42B | $2.36B | $2.01B |
| QoQ Change | — | +1.2% | +7.3% | -44.9% | +21.2% | +85.3% | -16.3% | -28.7% | +37.3% | +0.2% | +7.9% | -7.7% | -20.2% | +78.3% | -27.2% | -35.5% | +155.0% | +4.9% | -46.6% | -14.6% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | -27.6% | +32.6% | +3.4% | +34.1% | +51.8% | -17.9% | +5.8% | +36.9% | -20.4% | +41.8% | -4.3% | -33.1% | +113.6% | +25.6% | -7.8% | +22.0% |
Operating Cash Flow at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is HCA Healthcare's operating cash flow?
- HCA Healthcare (HCA) reported operating cash flow of $2.01B in Q1 2026.
- How has HCA Healthcare's operating cash flow changed year-over-year?
- HCA Healthcare's operating cash flow increased by 22.0% year-over-year, from $1.65B to $2.01B.
- What is the long-term trend for HCA Healthcare's operating cash flow?
- Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), HCA Healthcare's operating cash flow has grown at a 9.0% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $8.96B to $12.64B.
- What does operating cash flow mean?
- The actual amount of cash a company brings in from its day-to-day business activities.