HCA hopes to raise $300 million to repay debt

HCA Inc. is seeking to raise $300 million in a bond offering to repay bank debt and to amend terms of some of its loans. The sale would be HCA's first since its November 2006 buyout, when the Nashville-based company raised $5.7 billion in what was then the biggest high-yield offering in 17 years. Ed Fishbough, an HCA spokesman, said that the company was pleased with response to the offering. "This is a step we're taking as part of a prudent and conservative plan to pay down some of our debt that begins maturing in three-and-a-half years," he said.