Shares of hospital operator HCA Holdings are climbing in their New York Stock Exchange trading debut.

The stock rose more than 3 percent, or $1, to $31 in morning trading while the broader markets tumbled.

The Nashville, Tenn., company raised $3.79 billion Wednesday in an initial public offering of more than 126 million shares. The company priced the offering at $30 per share, the top end of the range it expected.

The hospital operator offered more than 87 million shares, and selling stockholders offered about 38 million shares. Underwriters also have a 30-day option to buy an additional 18.9 million shares from selling stockholders.

Shares are trading under the "HCA" ticker symbol.

HCA runs hospitals and surgery centers in 20 states and in England.