Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. (AMN) vs American Shared Hospital Services (AMS) 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 | AMS | 32.9% revenue growth vs AMN's -21.3% |
| Value | AMS | Lower P/E (6.4x vs 9.6x) |
| Quality / Margins | AMN | -3.5% net margin vs AMS's -7.6% |
| Stability / Safety | AMS | Lower D/E ratio (77.4% vs 155.4%) |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AMN | -23.1% vs AMS's -28.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AMS | -3.8% ROA vs AMN's -4.6%, ROIC -5.8% vs -3.9% |
Who Each Stock Is For
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
AMN Healthcare is a leading healthcare staffing and workforce solutions company that connects healthcare facilities with temporary and permanent medical professionals. It generates revenue primarily through staffing services—with nurse and allied staffing making up the largest segment—alongside physician placement and technology-enabled workforce management solutions. The company's scale, extensive network of healthcare professionals, and established relationships with thousands of healthcare facilities create significant barriers to entry for competitors.
American Shared Hospital Services is a specialized medical equipment leasing company that provides Gamma Knife radiosurgery systems and proton beam radiation therapy equipment to healthcare providers. It generates revenue primarily through equipment leasing arrangements — typically taking a percentage of procedure fees — and also offers financing, installation, and support services. The company's moat lies in its specialized focus on high-cost, technologically advanced radiation therapy equipment that requires significant capital investment, creating barriers to entry for smaller competitors.
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
AMS leads in 2 of 6 categories (Profitability & Efficiency, Total Returns). AMN leads in 1 (Financial Metrics). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AMN is the larger business by revenue, generating $2.7B annually — 92.8x AMS's $29M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from -3.5% (AMN) to -7.6% (AMS).
| Metric | AMNAMN Healthcare Se… | AMSAmerican Shared H… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.7B | $29M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $25M | $2M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$96M | -$2M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $242M | -$10M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +28.3% | +25.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -2.0% | -12.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -3.5% | -7.6% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +8.9% | -34.7% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +1.8% | +2.5% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +95.9% | -56.7% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, AMS's 7.7x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than AMN's 29.2x.
| Metric | AMNAMN Healthcare Se… | AMSAmerican Shared H… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $987M | $14M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.1B | $26M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -5.06x | 6.39x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 9.57x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.97x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 29.18x | 7.70x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.33x | 0.48x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.05x | 0.47x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 4.12x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
AMS delivers a -7.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-8 in annual profit, vs $-15 for AMN. AMS carries lower financial leverage with a 0.77x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AMN's 1.55x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AMS scores 5/9 vs AMN's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | AMNAMN Healthcare Se… | AMSAmerican Shared H… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -14.9% | -7.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -4.6% | -3.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -3.9% | -5.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -5.0% | -6.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.55x | 0.77x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.1B | $12M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $11M | $11M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.1B | $23M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -1.39x | -1.35x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AMS five years ago would be worth $8,115 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,553 for AMN. Over the past 12 months, AMN leads with a -23.1% total return vs AMS's -28.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AMS at -16.9% vs AMN's -40.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | AMNAMN Healthcare Se… | AMSAmerican Shared H… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +28.8% | +0.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -23.1% | -28.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -78.4% | -42.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.5% | -18.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -31.5% | +15.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -40.0% | -16.9% |
Risk & Volatility
AMS is the less volatile stock with a -0.01 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AMN's 1.00 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. AMN currently trades 71.7% from its 52-week high vs AMS's 67.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | AMNAMN Healthcare Se… | AMSAmerican Shared H… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.00x | -0.01x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $27.17 | $3.11 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $14.87 | $2.01 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +71.7% | +67.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 50.8 | 48.1 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.1M | 7K |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | AMNAMN Healthcare Se… | AMSAmerican Shared H… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $22.88 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 17 | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMN Healthcare Serv… (AMN) | 100 | 29.18 | -70.8% |
| American Shared Hos… (AMS) | 100 | 96.38 | -3.6% |
American Shared Hos… (AMS) returned -19% over 5 years vs AMN Healthcare Serv… (AMN)'s -74%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMN Healthcare Serv… (AMN) | $1.5B | $3.0B | +103.9% |
| American Shared Hos… (AMS) | $17M | $28M | +71.3% |
AMN Healthcare Services, Inc.'s revenue grew from $1.5B (2015) to $3.0B (2024) — a 8.2% CAGR. American Shared Hospital Services's revenue grew from $17M (2015) to $28M (2024) — a 6.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMN Healthcare Serv… (AMN) | 5.6% | -4.9% | -188.0% |
| American Shared Hos… (AMS) | -9.2% | 7.7% | +183.9% |
AMN Healthcare Services, Inc.'s net margin went from 6% (2015) to -5% (2024). American Shared Hospital Services's net margin went from -9% (2015) to 8% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMN Healthcare Serv… (AMN) | 18.4 | 14 | -23.9% |
| American Shared Hos… (AMS) | 7.9 | 9.7 | +22.8% |
AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. has traded in a 10x–46x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~-5x. American Shared Hospital Services has traded in a 8x–74x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~6x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMN Healthcare Serv… (AMN) | 1.68 | -3.85 | -329.2% |
| American Shared Hos… (AMS) | -0.28 | 0.33 | +217.9% |
AMN Healthcare Services, Inc.'s EPS grew from $1.68 (2015) to $-3.85 (2024) — a NaN% CAGR. American Shared Hospital Services's EPS grew from $-0.28 (2015) to $0.33 (2024).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. generated $240M FCF in 2024 (-5% vs 2021). American Shared Hospital Services generated $-8M FCF in 2024 (-269% vs 2021).
AMN vs AMS: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is AMN or AMS a better buy right now?
American Shared Hospital Services (AMS) offers the better valuation at 6.4x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. (AMN) a "Buy" — based on 17 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 — AMN or AMS?
Over the past 5 years, American Shared Hospital Services (AMS) delivered a total return of -18.8%, compared to -74.5% for AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. (AMN). A $10,000 investment in AMS five years ago would be worth approximately $8K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AMS returned +15.3% versus AMN's -31.5%. 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 — AMN or AMS?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), American Shared Hospital Services (AMS) is the lower-risk stock at -0.01β versus AMN Healthcare Services, Inc.'s 1.00β — meaning AMN is approximately -9270% more volatile than AMS relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, American Shared Hospital Services (AMS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 77% versus 155% for AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — AMN or AMS?
American Shared Hospital Services (AMS) is the more profitable company, earning 7.7% net margin versus -4.9% for AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. — meaning it keeps 7.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AMN leads at -3.4% versus -9.9% for AMS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AMS leads at 32.4%, 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — AMN or AMS?
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.
06Is AMN or AMS better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, American Shared Hospital Services (AMS) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β -0.01)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AMS: +15.3%, AMN: -31.5%), 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.
07What are the main differences between AMN and AMS?
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: AMN is a small-cap quality compounder stock; AMS is a small-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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