Compare Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) vs Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) Stock

Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) offers the better valuation at 34.3x trailing P/E (25.2x 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 forward P/E, Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. is actually cheaper at 15.7x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) delivered a total return of -7.4%, compared to -58.2% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC). A $10,000 investment in UHT five years ago would be worth approximately $9K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: UHT returned +37.8% versus ACHC's -57.7%. 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), Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) is the lower-risk stock at 0.24β versus Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.'s 0.75β — meaning ACHC is approximately 210% more volatile than UHT relative to the S&P 500.

Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) is the more profitable company, earning 11.8% net margin versus -33.3% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. — meaning it keeps 11.8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: UHT leads at 36.3% versus 11.7% for ACHC. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UHT leads at 94.4%, 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, Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) trades at 15.7x forward P/E versus 25.2x for Universal Health Realty Income Trust — 9.5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis.

In this comparison, UHT (6.8% yield) pays a dividend. ACHC does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.24), 6.8% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (UHT: +37.8%, ACHC: -57.7%), 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.

These companies operate in different sectors (ACHC (Healthcare) and UHT (Real Estate)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced. In terms of investment character: ACHC is a small-cap quality compounder stock; UHT is a small-cap income-oriented stock. UHT pays a dividend while ACHC 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.