ACHC vs UHS vs SEM vs SGRY vs BKD

For growth investors, Universal Health Services, Inc.

(UHS) is the stronger pick with 9. 7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 4. 8% for Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD). Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) offers the better valuation at 7. 3x trailing P/E (7. 2x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. 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.

On trailing P/E, Universal Health Services, Inc.

(UHS) is the cheapest at 7. 3x versus Select Medical Holdings Corporation at 13. 9x. On forward P/E, Universal Health Services, Inc. is actually cheaper at 7. 2x.

Over the past 5 years, Brookdale Senior Living Inc.

(BKD) delivered a total return of +114. 8%, compared to -71. 9% for Surgery Partners, Inc. (SGRY). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SEM returned +163. 0% 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), Select Medical Holdings Corporation (SEM) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

46β versus Surgery Partners, Inc. 's 1. 04β — meaning SGRY is approximately 127% more volatile than SEM relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 74% versus 182% for Select Medical Holdings Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Universal Health Services, Inc.

(UHS) is pulling ahead at 9. 7% versus 4. 8% for Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD). 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.

Universal Health Services, Inc.

(UHS) is the more profitable company, earning 8. 6% net margin versus -33. 3% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. — meaning it keeps 8. 6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SGRY leads at 11. 8% versus 0. 5% for BKD. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UHS leads at 90. 4%, 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, Universal Health Services, Inc.

(UHS) trades at 7. 2x forward P/E versus 38. 7x for Surgery Partners, Inc. — 31. 5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for UHS: 37. 4% to $231. 50.

In this comparison, SEM (1.

5% yield), UHS (0. 5% yield) pay a dividend. ACHC, SGRY, BKD do not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Select Medical Holdings Corporation (SEM) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

46), 1. 5% yield, +163. 0% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SEM: +163. 0%, 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.

In terms of investment character: ACHC is a small-cap quality compounder stock; UHS is a mid-cap deep-value stock; SEM is a small-cap deep-value stock; SGRY is a small-cap quality compounder stock; BKD is a small-cap quality compounder stock. SEM pays a dividend while ACHC, UHS, SGRY, BKD do 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.