Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) vs Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) 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 THC's 3.1% |
| Value | THC | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | THC | 6.6% net margin vs BKD's -8.2% |
| Stability / Safety | BKD | Beta 0.88 vs THC's 0.93 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | BKD | +168.4% vs THC's +89.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | THC | 4.7% ROA vs BKD's -4.4%, ROIC 13.5% 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.
Tenet Healthcare is a diversified healthcare services company that operates hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and urgent care facilities. It generates revenue primarily from hospital operations (acute care services) and ambulatory care centers, with additional income from its Conifer segment providing revenue cycle management services to other healthcare providers. The company's scale and integrated network of facilities across multiple states create operational efficiencies and referral pathways that serve as its competitive advantage.
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
THC leads in 2 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). BKD leads in 1 (Total Returns). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
THC is the larger business by revenue, generating $21.3B annually — 6.7x BKD's $3.2B. THC is the more profitable business, keeping 6.6% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to BKD's -8.2%.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | THCTenet Healthcare … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $3.2B | $21.3B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $441M | $4.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$263M | $1.4B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $80M | $2.5B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +88.9% | +55.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +2.7% | +16.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -8.2% | +6.6% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +2.5% | +11.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +11.0% | +9.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +54.1% | +27.1% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, THC's 7.2x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than BKD's 10.2x.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | THCTenet Healthcare … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.6B | $21.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $4.5B | $31.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -13.66x | 15.45x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 14.12x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.47x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 10.21x | 7.17x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.14x | 0.99x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 2.42x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 16.68x | 8.32x |
Profitability & Efficiency
THC delivers a 15.7% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $16 in annual profit, vs $-3 for BKD. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), THC scores 7/9 vs BKD's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | THCTenet Healthcare … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -3.1% | +15.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -4.4% | +4.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +2.0% | +13.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +1.5% | +14.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.47x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $869M | $10.3B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $279M | $2.9B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.1B | $13.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 11.24x | 5.85x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in THC five years ago would be worth $45,270 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $26,842 for BKD. Over the past 12 months, BKD leads with a +168.4% total return vs THC's +89.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors BKD at 67.9% vs THC's 59.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | THCTenet Healthcare … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +41.1% | +20.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +168.4% | +89.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +373.7% | +309.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +168.4% | +352.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +6.5% | +864.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +67.9% | +59.9% |
Risk & Volatility
BKD is the less volatile stock with a 0.88 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than THC's 0.93 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. THC currently trades 99.5% 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 … | THCTenet Healthcare … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.88x | 0.93x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $17.00 | $240.57 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $4.97 | $109.82 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +90.0% | +99.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.6 | 74.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.6M | 826K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates BKD as "Buy" and THC as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 14.4% upside for BKD (target: $18) vs 7.5% for THC (target: $257).
| Metric | BKDBrookdale Senior … | THCTenet Healthcare … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $17.50 | $257.45 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 12 | 32 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +6.8% |
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% |
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | 100 | 662.08 | +562.1% |
Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) returned +353% over 5 years vs Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD)'s +168%. A $10,000 investment in THC 5 years ago would be worth $45,270 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | $4.2B | $3.2B | -24.5% |
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | $19.6B | $21.3B | +8.6% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s revenue grew from $4.2B (2016) to $3.2B (2025) — a -3.1% CAGR. Tenet Healthcare Corporation's revenue grew from $19.6B (2016) to $21.3B (2025) — a 0.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | -9.5% | -8.2% | +13.8% |
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | -1.0% | 6.6% | +774.8% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s net margin went from -10% (2016) to -8% (2025). Tenet Healthcare Corporation's net margin went from -1% (2016) to 7% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | 16 | 12.8 | -20.0% |
Tenet Healthcare Corporation has traded in a 4x–16x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~15x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | -2.18 | -1.12 | +48.6% |
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | -1.93 | 15.49 | +902.6% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s EPS grew from $-2.18 (2016) to $-1.12 (2025). Tenet Healthcare Corporation's EPS grew from $-1.93 (2016) to $15.49 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. generated $218M FCF in 2025 (+180% vs 2021). Tenet Healthcare Corporation generated $3B FCF in 2025 (+178% vs 2021).
BKD vs THC: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is BKD or THC a better buy right now?
Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) offers the better valuation at 15.5x trailing P/E (14.1x 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 THC?
Over the past 5 years, Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) delivered a total return of +352.7%, compared to +168.4% for Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD). A $10,000 investment in THC five years ago would be worth approximately $45K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: THC returned +864.5% 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 THC?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) is the lower-risk stock at 0.88β versus Tenet Healthcare Corporation's 0.93β — meaning THC is approximately 5% more volatile than BKD relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — BKD or THC?
Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) is the more profitable company, earning 6.6% net margin versus -8.2% for Brookdale Senior Living Inc. — meaning it keeps 6.6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: THC leads at 16.5% 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 THC 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 THC?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
07Is BKD or THC better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.93), +864.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (THC: +864.5%, 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 THC?
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: BKD is a small-cap quality compounder stock; THC is a mid-cap deep-value 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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