Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare DocGo Inc. (DCGO) vs HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | HCA | 7.1% revenue growth vs DCGO's -1.2% |
| Value | DCGO | Lower P/E (4.0x vs 17.5x) |
| Quality / Margins | HCA | 9.0% net margin vs DCGO's -14.0% |
| Stability / Safety | HCA | Beta 0.29 vs DCGO's 1.20 |
| Dividends | DCGO | 100.0% yield, 1-year raise streak, vs HCA's 0.6% |
| Momentum (1Y) | HCA | +73.9% vs DCGO's -76.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | HCA | 11.2% ROA vs DCGO's -14.6%, ROIC 19.9% vs 7.5% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
DocGo is a mobile healthcare and medical transportation provider that brings medical services directly to patients' homes, workplaces, and events. It generates revenue primarily through contracted mobile health services—including COVID-19 testing and on-site event healthcare—and medical transportation services like ambulance and wheelchair transport. The company's competitive advantage lies in its integrated platform that combines transportation with on-site medical care, creating a seamless mobile healthcare delivery system.
HCA Healthcare is one of the largest for-profit hospital operators in the United States, providing comprehensive medical and surgical services through its network of acute care hospitals and outpatient facilities. It generates revenue primarily from patient services — including inpatient hospital stays, outpatient procedures, and emergency care — with the vast majority coming from government programs like Medicare and Medicaid alongside private insurance reimbursements. The company's scale advantage — operating over 180 hospitals concentrated in high-growth markets — creates significant purchasing power with suppliers and negotiating leverage with payers.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
HCA leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). DCGO leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
HCA is the larger business by revenue, generating $75.6B annually — 205.4x DCGO's $368M. HCA is the more profitable business, keeping 9.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to DCGO's -14.0%. On growth, HCA holds the edge at +6.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | DCGODocGo Inc. | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $368M | $75.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$66M | $15.5B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$52M | $6.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $52M | $7.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +31.2% | +41.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -22.0% | +15.8% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -14.0% | +9.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +14.1% | +10.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -48.9% | +6.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -6.4% | +44.6% |
Valuation Metrics
At 4.0x trailing earnings, DCGO trades at a 79% valuation discount to HCA's 18.7x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, DCGO's 0.9x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than HCA's 10.8x.
| Metric | DCGODocGo Inc. | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $73M | $118.5B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $41M | $167.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 3.99x | 18.66x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 17.50x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.89x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 0.92x | 10.82x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.12x | 1.57x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.25x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 1.13x | 15.40x |
Profitability & Efficiency
| Metric | DCGODocGo Inc. | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -19.8% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -14.6% | +11.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +7.5% | +19.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +8.8% | +27.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.18x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$32M | $49.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $89M | $1.0B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $57M | $50.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -38.97x | 5.37x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in HCA five years ago would be worth $30,878 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $707 for DCGO. Over the past 12 months, HCA leads with a +73.9% total return vs DCGO's -76.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors HCA at 30.2% vs DCGO's -57.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | DCGODocGo Inc. | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -19.1% | +12.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -76.8% | +73.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -92.2% | +120.8% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -92.9% | +208.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -93.0% | +688.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -57.2% | +30.2% |
Risk & Volatility
HCA is the less volatile stock with a 0.29 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than DCGO's 1.20 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. HCA currently trades 95.8% from its 52-week high vs DCGO's 22.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | DCGODocGo Inc. | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.20x | 0.29x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $3.18 | $552.90 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.66 | $295.00 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +22.6% | +95.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 40.1 | 56.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 624K | 879K |
Analyst Outlook
For income investors, DCGO offers the higher dividend yield at 100.00% vs HCA's 0.56%.
| Metric | DCGODocGo Inc. | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $523.92 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 46 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +100.0% | +0.6% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 5 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $11829.54 | $2.94 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +18.8% | +8.5% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Dec 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| DocGo Inc. (DCGO) | 100 | 7.54 | -92.5% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 100 | 303.62 | +203.6% |
HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) returned +209% over 5 years vs DocGo Inc. (DCGO)'s -93%. A $10,000 investment in HCA 5 years ago would be worth $30,878 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| DocGo Inc. (DCGO) | $48M | $617M | +1176.5% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | $41.5B | $75.6B | +82.2% |
HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s revenue grew from $41.5B (2016) to $75.6B (2025) — a 6.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| DocGo Inc. (DCGO) | -41.8% | 3.2% | +107.7% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 7.0% | 9.0% | +28.8% |
HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s net margin went from 7% (2016) to 9% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| DocGo Inc. (DCGO) | 37.4 | 23.6 | -36.9% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 14.8 | 16.5 | +11.5% |
DocGo Inc. has traded in a 21x–86x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~4x. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has traded in a 12x–17x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~19x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| DocGo Inc. (DCGO) | -0.2 | 0.18 | +190.0% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 7.3 | 28.38 | +288.8% |
HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s EPS grew from $7.30 (2016) to $28.38 (2025) — a 16% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
DocGo Inc. generated $65M FCF in 2024 (+850% vs 2021). HCA Healthcare, Inc. generated $8B FCF in 2025 (+43% vs 2021).
DCGO vs HCA: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is DCGO or HCA a better buy right now?
DocGo Inc. (DCGO) offers the better valuation at 4.0x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) a "Buy" — based on 46 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — DCGO or HCA?
On trailing P/E, DocGo Inc. (DCGO) is the cheapest at 4.0x versus HCA Healthcare, Inc. at 18.7x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — DCGO or HCA?
Over the past 5 years, HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) delivered a total return of +208.8%, compared to -92.9% for DocGo Inc. (DCGO). A $10,000 investment in HCA five years ago would be worth approximately $31K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: HCA returned +688.3% versus DCGO's -93.0%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — DCGO or HCA?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.29β versus DocGo Inc.'s 1.20β — meaning DCGO is approximately 310% more volatile than HCA relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — DCGO or HCA?
HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) is the more profitable company, earning 9.0% net margin versus 3.2% for DocGo Inc. — meaning it keeps 9.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: HCA leads at 15.8% versus 4.7% for DCGO. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — HCA leads at 41.5%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Which pays a better dividend — DCGO or HCA?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. DocGo Inc. (DCGO) offers the highest yield at 100.0%, versus 0.6% for HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA).
07Is DCGO or HCA better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.29), 0.6% yield, +688.3% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (HCA: +688.3%, DCGO: -93.0%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between DCGO and HCA?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: DCGO is a small-cap deep-value stock; HCA is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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