HCA earnings top estimates

HCA Holdings Inc. on Tuesday reported third-quarter earnings of $518 million.

The Nashville-based company said it had profit of $1.16 a share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to $1.18 a share.

The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of $1.04 a share.

The hospital operator posted revenue of $9.22 billion in the period, also beating forecasts. Analysts expected $9.18 billion, according to Zacks.

HCA shares have increased 50 percent since the beginning of the year. The stock has increased 52 percent in the past 12 months.

— Associated Press