ACHC vs SGRY

For growth investors, Surgery Partners, Inc.

(SGRY) is the stronger pick with 6. 2% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 5. 0% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC). Analysts rate Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) a "Buy" — based on 25 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.

Over the past 5 years, Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.

(ACHC) delivered a total return of -60. 4%, compared to -71. 9% for Surgery Partners, Inc. (SGRY). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SGRY returned +4. 9% versus ACHC's -56. 7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.

(ACHC) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 84β versus Surgery Partners, Inc. 's 1. 04β — meaning SGRY is approximately 24% more volatile than ACHC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Surgery Partners, Inc. (SGRY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 114% versus 124% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Surgery Partners, Inc.

(SGRY) is pulling ahead at 6. 2% versus 5. 0% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Surgery Partners, Inc. grew EPS 54. 1% year-over-year, compared to -537. 4% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, SGRY leads at 9. 2% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Surgery Partners, Inc.

(SGRY) is the more profitable company, earning -2. 4% net margin versus -33. 3% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. — meaning it keeps -2. 4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SGRY leads at 11. 8% versus 11. 7% for ACHC. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SGRY leads at 23. 1%, 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.

On forward earnings alone, Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.

(ACHC) trades at 17. 0x forward P/E versus 38. 7x for Surgery Partners, Inc. — 21. 7x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SGRY: 27. 5% to $18. 60.

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.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.

(ACHC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 84)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ACHC: -56. 7%, SGRY: +4. 9%), 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.

Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

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.