ACHC vs NHC vs EHC Stock Comparison

Acadia Healthcare Company, National Healthcare and Encompass Health Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
NHC National Healthcare Corp
$212.79 -6.1% 1M +76.8% 1Y
Market cap
$3.36B
P/E
24.0x
Revenue (TTM)
$1.56B
Div. yield
0.01%
Home Health and Senior Care Healthcare
4 wins
EHC Encompass Health Corp
$121.52 -1.6% 1M -4.5% 1Y
Market cap
$12.12B
P/E
19.5x
Revenue (TTM)
$6.21B
Div. yield
0.01%
Hospitals Healthcare
6 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Encompass Health leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Encompass Health 6, National Healthcare 4, Acadia Healthcare Company 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionACHCNHCEHCLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $2.76B $3.36B $12.12B EHC
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -2.4x 24.0x 19.5x EHC
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 19.0x — 20.5x ACHC
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +4.3% +6.9% +9.5% EHC
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -33.4% 9.0% 10.0% EHC
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital -24.7% 10.0% 15.4% EHC
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -2.5x — 1.7x ACHC
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.01% 0.01% NHC
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +30.3% +76.8% -4.5% NHC
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -12.5%/yr +25.5%/yr +13.8%/yr NHC
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 64.4% 34.7% 29.5% EHC
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 26/100 78/100 65/100 NHC

Percentile Scorecard

ACHCNHCEHC

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisACHCNHCEHC
Valuation 48 #48 of 92 77 #22 of 92 78 #21 of 92
Growth 6 #82 of 87 79 #19 of 87 56 #39 of 87
Profitability 18 #71 of 86 80 #18 of 86 92 #8 of 86
Financial Health 31 #67 of 97 88 #13 of 97 38 #61 of 97
Shareholder Returns – 67 #19 of 56 64 #21 of 56
Overall 26 78 65
  • ACHC ranked among 102 companies in Healthcare Providers
  • NHC ranked among 102 companies in Healthcare Providers
  • EHC ranked among 102 companies in Healthcare Providers

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodACHCNHCEHCSPY
1 month +6.4%-6.1%-1.6% -0.2%
3 months -8.5%-7.8%+4.8% +3.9%
6 months +8.4%+21.8%+19.5% +8.2%
Year to date +110.7%+55.2%+14.5% +12.9%
1 year +30.3%+76.8%-4.5% +12.3%
3 years -58.5%+221.9%+99.7% +87.4%
3 years, per year -25.4%+47.7%+25.9% +23.3%
5 years -48.8%+211.4%+90.4% +67.9%
5 years, per year -12.5%+25.5%+13.8% +10.9%
10 years -19.1%+228.6%+217.0% +261.1%
10 years, per year -2.1%+12.6%+12.2% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureACHCNHCEHCSPY
Volatility, 1Y 64.4%34.7%29.5% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 65.0%32.3%24.9% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.960.130.02 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.472.21-0.15 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -86.9%-34.4%-39.1% -25.4%
From 52-week high -16.0%-14.0%-5.0% -1.2%
52-week high $35.61$247.31$127.92 $779.14
52-week low $11.68$119.44$93.83 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleACHCNHCEHC
P/E now vs peer median -2.4xmedian 24.6x 23.7xmedian 24.6x 19.3xmedian 24.6x
P/S now vs peer median 0.8xmedian 1.6x 2.1xmedian 1.6x 1.9xmedian 1.6x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median -5.5xmedian 14.6x 16.4xmedian 14.6x 9.7xmedian 14.6x
P/FCF now vs peer median -20.3xmedian 21.6x 22.7xmedian 21.6x 29.0xmedian 21.6x
P/B now vs peer median 1.4xmedian 3.2x 3.0xmedian 3.2x 3.5xmedian 3.2x
PEG now vs peer median 0.03median 0.66 0.38median 0.66 0.74median 0.66

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsACHCNHCEHC
Revenue $3.37B $1.56B $6.21B
Operating income – $144.68M –
Net income -$1.12B $142.84M $833.30M
Free cash flow -$134.03M $146.53M $413.40M
EPS (diluted) $-12.33 $8.84 $6.21
Cash & equivalents $171.29M $39.21M $107.70M
Total debt $2.41B – $2.63B
Shares (diluted) 91.37M 15.86M 100.00M
Enterprise value $2.18B $2.34B $11.78B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricACHCNHCEHC
P/E -2.4x 23.7x 19.3x
P/FCF -20.3x 22.7x 29.0x
P/Operating cash flow 12.9x 17.7x 9.9x
P/S 0.8x 2.1x 1.9x
P/B 1.4x 3.0x 3.5x
P/Tangible book 1.4x 3.0x 3.9x
EV/EBITDA -5.5x 16.4x 9.7x
EV/EBIT -4.5x 21.6x 12.6x
EV/Revenue 1.5x 2.0x 2.3x
EV/FCF -37.0x 21.3x 35.1x
EV/Operating cash flow 23.6x 16.5x 12.0x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.03 0.38 0.74

Growth

14 metrics
MetricACHCNHCEHC
Revenue growth (1Y) 4.3% 6.9% 9.5%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 6.6% 12.8% 10.7%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – –
Operating income growth (1Y) – 24.1% –
Operating income CAGR (3Y) – 57.4% –
Net income growth (1Y) -838.8% 35.9% 20.3%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -82.3% 68.9% 26.2%
EPS growth (1Y) -900.5% 31.6% 21.5%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -83.4% 61.9% 26.0%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -50.4% 26.7% 9.7%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -16.6% 44.1% 21.4%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 56.9% 23.2% -5.9%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -73.4% 58.0% 62.3%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricACHCNHCEHC
Gross margin – – –
EBITDA margin -26.6% 12.2% 24.2%
Operating margin – 9.3% –
Pretax margin -32.6% 11.9% 16.6%
Net margin -33.4% 9.0% 10.0%
FCF margin -4.0% 9.4% 6.7%
Operating cash flow margin 6.3% 12.1% 19.5%
Return on equity -57.0% 12.8% 24.8%
Return on assets -20.2% 9.3% 11.3%
Return on invested capital -24.7% 10.0% 15.4%
Return on capital employed -21.9% 11.2% 17.7%
Asset turnover 0.6x 1.0x 0.8x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) -0.2x 1.3x 1.5x
Stock comp / revenue 0.9% 0.3% 0.9%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricACHCNHCEHC
Debt / assets 43.5% – 35.3%
Debt / equity 1.2x – 0.8x
Net debt / EBITDA -2.5x – 1.7x
Debt / FCF -18.0x – 6.4x
Liabilities / assets 64.3% 26.6% 54.4%
Equity / assets 35.7% 73.4% 45.6%
Interest coverage – 56.6x 9.2x
Current ratio 1.6x 1.9x 1.2x
Quick ratio 1.2x 1.5x 0.9x
Cash ratio 0.3x 0.9x 0.1x
Altman Z-score 0.29 7.18 –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricACHCNHCEHC
Dividend yield – 1.2% 0.6%
Net buyback yield – 0.1% 2.1%
Shareholder yield – 1.4% 2.7%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 27.8% 9.0%
Payout ratio (FCF) – 27.1% 18.2%
Dividend growth (1Y) – 5.6% 12.1%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 4.3% 0.9%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusACHCNHCEHC
Forward P/E 19.0xFY2026 – 20.5xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $1.57FY2026 – $5.94FY2026
EPS growth, next FY -21.5%FY2026 – +9.0%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +22.3% – +7.1%
Revenue, next fiscal year $3.53BFY2026 – $6.62BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +6.5%FY2026 – +11.5%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +6.9% – +9.2%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersACHCNHCEHC
Held by institutions 100.0% 65.3% 96.0%
Institutions holding 314 250 595
Change in shares held, QoQ +3.7% -0.6% -0.8%
Institutions buying 165 136 292
Institutions selling 98 72 217
Buyers to sellers 1.68 1.89 1.35

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

ACHCNHCEHC
ACHC 1.00 0.25 0.24
NHC 0.25 1.00 0.27
EHC 0.24 0.27 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, ACHC, NHC and EHC?

Encompass Health (EHC) is the largest by market capitalisation: Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) $2.76B, National Healthcare (NHC) $3.36B, Encompass Health (EHC) $12.12B.

Which stock is cheaper, ACHC, NHC and EHC?

Encompass Health (EHC) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) -2.4x, National Healthcare (NHC) 24.0x, Encompass Health (EHC) 19.5x). On next year's consensus earnings, Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) is cheapest (Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) 19.0x, Encompass Health (EHC) 20.5x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Encompass Health (EHC) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) +4.3%, National Healthcare (NHC) +6.9%, Encompass Health (EHC) +9.5%.

Which company is more profitable?

Encompass Health (EHC) has the highest net margin (Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) -33.4%, National Healthcare (NHC) 9.0%, Encompass Health (EHC) 10.0%). On return on invested capital, Encompass Health (EHC) leads (Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) -24.7%, National Healthcare (NHC) 10.0%, Encompass Health (EHC) 15.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year National Healthcare (NHC) returned the most: Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) +30.3%, National Healthcare (NHC) +76.8%, Encompass Health (EHC) -4.5%. Over five years, National Healthcare (NHC) compounded fastest (Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) -12.5%/yr, National Healthcare (NHC) +25.5%/yr, Encompass Health (EHC) +13.8%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

National Healthcare (NHC) has the highest dividend yield: Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) 0.00%, National Healthcare (NHC) 0.01%, Encompass Health (EHC) 0.01%. Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Encompass Health (EHC) has been the steadiest (Acadia Healthcare Company (ACHC) 64.4%, National Healthcare (NHC) 34.7%, Encompass Health (EHC) 29.5%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, ACHC, NHC and EHC?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Encompass Health (EHC) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.