Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) 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 | BKD | 7.3% revenue growth vs HCA's 7.1% |
| Value | HCA | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | HCA | 9.0% net margin vs BKD's -8.2% |
| Stability / Safety | HCA | Beta 0.29 vs BKD's 0.88 |
| Dividends | HCA | 0.6% yield; 5-year raise streak; BKD pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | BKD | +168.4% vs HCA's +73.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | HCA | 11.2% ROA vs BKD's -4.4%, ROIC 19.9% vs 2.0% |
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
Brookdale Senior Living is a leading operator of senior living communities across the United States, providing independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing services. It generates revenue primarily through resident fees — with assisted living and memory care contributing about 60% of revenue, independent living around 30%, and continuing care retirement communities making up the remainder. The company's scale advantage — operating over 600 communities nationwide — creates operational efficiencies and brand recognition that smaller regional operators cannot match.
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 3 of 6 categories (Profitability & Efficiency, Risk & Volatility). BKD leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
HCA is the larger business by revenue, generating $75.6B annually — 23.6x BKD's $3.2B. HCA is the more profitable business, keeping 9.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to BKD's -8.2%. On growth, BKD holds the edge at +11.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $3.2B | $75.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $441M | $15.5B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$263M | $6.8B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $80M | $7.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +88.9% | +41.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.7% | +15.8% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -8.2% | +9.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +2.5% | +10.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +11.0% | +6.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +54.1% | +44.6% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, BKD's 10.2x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than HCA's 10.8x.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.6B | $118.5B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $4.5B | $167.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -13.66x | 18.66x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 17.50x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.89x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 10.21x | 10.82x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.14x | 1.57x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 16.68x | 15.40x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), HCA scores 7/9 vs BKD's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -3.1% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -4.4% | +11.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +2.0% | +19.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +1.5% | +27.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $869M | $49.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $279M | $1.0B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.1B | $50.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 11.24x | 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 $26,842 for BKD. Over the past 12 months, BKD leads with a +168.4% total return vs HCA's +73.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors BKD at 67.9% vs HCA's 30.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +41.1% | +12.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +168.4% | +73.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +373.7% | +120.8% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +168.4% | +208.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +6.5% | +688.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +67.9% | +30.2% |
Risk & Volatility
HCA is the less volatile stock with a 0.29 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than BKD's 0.88 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 BKD's 90.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.88x | 0.29x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $17.00 | $552.90 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $4.97 | $295.00 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +90.0% | +95.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.6 | 56.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.6M | 879K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates BKD as "Buy" and HCA as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 14.4% upside for BKD (target: $18) vs -1.1% for HCA (target: $524). HCA is the only dividend payer here at 0.56% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $17.50 | $523.92 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 12 | 46 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.6% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 5 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $2.94 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +8.5% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | 100 | 256.98 | +157.0% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 100 | 367.9 | +267.9% |
HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) returned +209% over 5 years vs Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD)'s +168%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | $4.2B | $3.2B | -24.5% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | $41.5B | $75.6B | +82.2% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s revenue grew from $4.2B (2016) to $3.2B (2025) — a -3.1% CAGR. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | -9.5% | -8.2% | +13.8% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 7.0% | 9.0% | +28.8% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s net margin went from -10% (2016) to -8% (2025). HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s net margin went from 7% (2016) to 9% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 14.8 | 16.5 | +11.5% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | -2.18 | -1.12 | +48.6% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 7.3 | 28.38 | +288.8% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s EPS grew from $-2.18 (2016) to $-1.12 (2025). HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s EPS grew from $7.30 (2016) to $28.38 (2025) — a 16% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. generated $218M FCF in 2025 (+180% vs 2021). HCA Healthcare, Inc. generated $8B FCF in 2025 (+43% vs 2021).
BKD vs HCA: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is BKD or HCA a better buy right now?
HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) offers the better valuation at 18.7x trailing P/E (17.5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) a "Buy" — based on 12 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 is the better long-term investment — BKD or HCA?
Over the past 5 years, HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) delivered a total return of +208.8%, compared to +168.4% for Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD). 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 BKD's +6.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — BKD or HCA?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.29β versus Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s 0.88β — meaning BKD is approximately 200% more volatile than HCA relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — BKD or HCA?
HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) is the more profitable company, earning 9.0% net margin versus -8.2% for Brookdale Senior Living 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 2.7% for BKD. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — BKD leads at 88.9%, 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.
05Is BKD or HCA more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for BKD: 14.4% to $17.50.
06Which pays a better dividend — BKD or HCA?
In this comparison, HCA (0.6% yield) pays a dividend. BKD does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is BKD 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%, BKD: +6.5%), 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 BKD 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. HCA pays a dividend while BKD does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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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