HCA vs. SEM

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

HCA (HCA Healthcare, Inc.) and SEM (Select Medical Holdings Corporation) are both stocks. Both operate in the Medical Care Facilities industry within the Healthcare sector. Over the past 10 years, HCA returned 17.63%/yr vs 10.28%/yr for SEM. At a 0.47 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

HCA vs. SEM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) and Select Medical Holdings Corporation (SEM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HCA achieves a -21.20% return, which is significantly lower than SEM's 11.93% return. Over the past 10 years, HCA has outperformed SEM with an annualized return of 17.63%, while SEM has yielded a comparatively lower 10.28% annualized return.

HCA

• 1D: -0.97%
• 1M: -15.18%
• YTD: -21.20%
• 6M: -26.36%
• 1Y: -3.23%
• 3Y*: 11.10%
• 5Y*: 12.44%
• 10Y*: 17.63%

SEM

• 1D: -0.12%
• 1M: 0.69%
• YTD: 11.93%
• 6M: 9.65%
• 1Y: 10.86%
• 3Y*: 4.15%
• 5Y*: -3.33%
• 10Y*: 10.28%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

HCA vs. SEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HCA HCA Healthcare, Inc.	-21.20%	56.71%	11.75%	13.83%	-5.64%	57.58%	12.07%	20.24%	43.37%	18.67%
SEM Select Medical Holdings Corporation	11.93%	-19.84%	51.24%	-3.52%	-13.85%	7.41%	18.51%	52.05%	-13.03%	33.21%

Correlation

The correlation between HCA and SEM is 0.25, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.25
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.43
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.52
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.53
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 11, 2011	0.47

Over the past year, the correlation between HCA and SEM has dropped to 0.25 - well below their long-term average of 0.47, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

EPS HCA : $28.46 SEM : $1.44
PE Ratio HCA : 12.91 SEM : 11.43
PS Ratio HCA : 1.16 SEM : 0.28
Total Revenue (TTM) HCA : $75.60B SEM : $5.52B
Gross Profit (TTM) HCA : $31.37B SEM : $588.00M
EBITDA (TTM) HCA : $15.60B SEM : $442.21M

Return for Risk

HCA vs. SEM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

HCA

HCA Risk / Return Rank: 33
HCA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 35
HCA Sortino Ratio Rank: 30
HCA Omega Ratio Rank: 30
HCA Calmar Ratio Rank: 36
HCA Martin Ratio Rank: 35

SEM

SEM Risk / Return Rank: 50
SEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
SEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 46
SEM Omega Ratio Rank: 51
SEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
SEM Martin Ratio Rank: 52

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

HCA vs. SEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) and Select Medical Holdings Corporation (SEM). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	HCA	SEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.12	0.35	-0.47
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.02	0.69	-0.67
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.00	1.12	-0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.09	0.41	-0.50
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.32	1.04	-1.36
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HCA vs. SEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HCA Sharpe Ratio is -0.12, which is lower than the SEM Sharpe Ratio of 0.35. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HCA and SEM, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	HCA	SEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.12	0.35	-0.47
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.42	-0.09	+0.51
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	0.24	+0.30
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.61	0.22	+0.39

Drawdowns

HCA vs. SEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HCA drawdown since its inception was -54.74%, smaller than the maximum SEM drawdown of -60.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HCA and SEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	HCA	SEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-54.74%	-60.26%	+5.52%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-32.51%	-24.02%	-8.49%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-32.51%	-45.04%	+12.53%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-39.49%	-49.09%	+9.60%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-54.74%	-60.26%	+5.52%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-32.51%	-22.48%	-10.03%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.00%	-22.66%	+11.66%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	9.63%	9.40%	+0.23%

Volatility

HCA vs. SEM - Volatility Comparison

HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) has a higher volatility of 6.38% compared to Select Medical Holdings Corporation (SEM) at 0.63%. This indicates that HCA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HCA	SEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.38%	0.63%	+5.75%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	21.12%	13.58%	+7.54%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	26.88%	31.37%	-4.49%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	29.80%	37.44%	-7.64%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	32.61%	42.31%	-9.70%

Dividends

HCA vs. SEM - Dividend Comparison

HCA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.80%, less than SEM's 1.52% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HCA HCA Healthcare, Inc.	0.80%	0.62%	0.88%	0.89%	0.93%	0.75%	0.63%	1.08%	1.12%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
SEM Select Medical Holdings Corporation	1.52%	1.68%	97.39%	2.13%	2.01%	1.28%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.84%

Financials

HCA vs. SEM - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between HCA Healthcare, Inc. and Select Medical Holdings Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

HCA - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, HCA Healthcare, Inc. reported a gross profit of 8.18B and revenue of 19.51B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 41.9%.

SEM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Select Medical Holdings Corporation reported a gross profit of 175.47M and revenue of 1.42B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 12.3%.

HCA - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, HCA Healthcare, Inc. reported an operating income of 3.18B and revenue of 19.51B, resulting in an operating margin of 16.3%.

SEM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Select Medical Holdings Corporation reported an operating income of 98.42M and revenue of 1.42B, resulting in an operating margin of 6.9%.

HCA - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, HCA Healthcare, Inc. reported a net income of 1.88B and revenue of 19.51B, resulting in a net margin of 9.6%.

SEM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Select Medical Holdings Corporation reported a net income of 44.00M and revenue of 1.42B, resulting in a net margin of 3.1%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both HCA and SEM in my portfolio?

HCA and SEM have a correlation of 0.25, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, HCA or SEM?

HCA has higher volatility (6.38%) compared to SEM (0.63%). In terms of maximum drawdown, HCA dropped -54.74% vs SEM's -60.26%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SEM currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.35 vs -0.12), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.