Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) vs Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | ARDT | 10.3% revenue growth vs ACHC's 5.0% |
| Value | ARDT | Lower P/E (7.4x vs 15.7x) |
| Quality / Margins | ARDT | 3.2% net margin vs ACHC's -33.3% |
| Stability / Safety | ACHC | Beta 0.75 vs ARDT's 0.88, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ACHC | -21.8% vs ARDT's -35.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ARDT | 4.0% ROA vs ACHC's -20.0%, ROIC 9.7% vs 5.9% |
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
Ardent Health Partners operates a network of acute care hospitals and clinics providing comprehensive healthcare services across the United States. It generates revenue primarily from patient care services — including inpatient and outpatient treatments, surgeries, and rehabilitation — with the majority coming from government and private insurance reimbursements. The company benefits from its regional concentration in key markets, which creates operational efficiencies and strong local physician relationships that drive patient referrals.
Acadia Healthcare operates a network of behavioral healthcare facilities — including psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, and outpatient clinics — across the United States and Puerto Rico. It generates revenue primarily from patient services reimbursed by government payers like Medicaid and Medicare (roughly 50-60%) and commercial insurance (roughly 30-40%). The company's competitive advantage lies in its scale as one of the largest pure-play behavioral health providers, creating operational efficiencies and a broad geographic footprint that supports patient access and referral networks.
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
ARDT leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). ACHC leads in 1 (Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ARDT is the larger business by revenue, generating $6.3B annually — 1.9x ACHC's $3.3B. ARDT is the more profitable business, keeping 3.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ACHC's -33.3%.
| Metric | ARDTArdent Health Par… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $6.3B | $3.3B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $948M | $513M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $205M | -$1.1B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $155M | -$440M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +70.6% | +60.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +12.6% | +9.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +3.2% | -33.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +2.4% | -13.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +8.8% | +6.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -189.5% | -38.2% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, ARDT's 5.6x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than ACHC's 8.0x.
| Metric | ARDTArdent Health Par… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.3B | $2.1B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $3.1B | $4.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 5.94x | -1.93x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 7.38x | 15.68x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.08x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 5.55x | 8.02x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.22x | 0.64x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.82x | 0.99x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 10.51x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
ARDT delivers a 12.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $13 in annual profit, vs $-52 for ACHC. ACHC carries lower financial leverage with a 1.23x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ARDT's 1.50x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ARDT scores 8/9 vs ACHC's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | ARDTArdent Health Par… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +12.6% | -51.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +4.0% | -20.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +9.7% | +5.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +10.0% | +7.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.50x | 1.23x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.7B | $2.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $557M | $133M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2.3B | $2.6B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 7.08x | 1.82x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ARDT five years ago would be worth $5,847 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4,183 for ACHC. Over the past 12 months, ACHC leads with a -21.8% total return vs ARDT's -35.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ARDT at -16.4% vs ACHC's -31.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ARDTArdent Health Par… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +8.7% | +64.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -35.9% | -21.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -41.5% | -67.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -41.5% | -58.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -41.5% | -57.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -16.4% | -31.4% |
Risk & Volatility
ACHC is the less volatile stock with a 0.75 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ARDT's 0.88 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ACHC currently trades 69.8% from its 52-week high vs ARDT's 60.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ARDTArdent Health Par… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.88x | 0.75x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $15.55 | $33.58 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $8.07 | $11.43 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +60.4% | +69.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 55.7 | 84.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 341K | 3.0M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ARDT as "Buy" and ACHC as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 55.2% upside for ARDT (target: $15) vs -15.4% for ACHC (target: $20).
| Metric | ARDTArdent Health Par… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $14.57 | $19.82 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 12 | 25 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +2.4% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jul 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | 100 | 53.49 | -46.5% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 100 | 17.83 | -82.2% |
Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) returned -42% over 5 years vs Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC)'s -58%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | $2.1B | $6.0B | +183.4% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | $2.8B | $3.3B | +17.9% |
Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.'s revenue grew from $2.8B (2016) to $3.3B (2025) — a 1.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | 0.7% | 3.5% | +408.3% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 0.2% | -33.3% | -15335.0% |
Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.'s net margin went from 0% (2016) to -33% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 5 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 14.2 | 14.3 | +0.7% |
Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. has traded in a 14x–29x P/E range over 5 years; current trailing P/E is ~-2x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | 0.1 | 1.58 | +1480.0% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 0.07 | -12.16 | -17471.4% |
Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.07 (2016) to $-12.16 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Ardent Health Partners, LLC generated $128M FCF in 2024 (+167% vs 2022). Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. generated $-440M FCF in 2025 (-439% vs 2021).
ARDT vs ACHC: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ARDT or ACHC a better buy right now?
Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) offers the better valuation at 5.9x trailing P/E (7.4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) 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 has the better valuation — ARDT or ACHC?
On forward P/E, Ardent Health Partners, LLC is actually cheaper at 7.4x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — ARDT or ACHC?
Over the past 5 years, Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) delivered a total return of -41.5%, compared to -58.2% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC). A $10,000 investment in ARDT five years ago would be worth approximately $6K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ARDT returned -41.5% 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.
04Which is safer — ARDT or ACHC?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) is the lower-risk stock at 0.75β versus Ardent Health Partners, LLC's 0.88β — meaning ARDT is approximately 18% more volatile than ACHC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 123% versus 150% for Ardent Health Partners, LLC — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — ARDT or ACHC?
Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) is the more profitable company, earning 3.5% net margin versus -33.3% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. — meaning it keeps 3.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ACHC leads at 11.7% versus 6.8% for ARDT. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ARDT leads at 82.7%, 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.
06Is ARDT or ACHC more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) trades at 7.4x forward P/E versus 15.7x for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. — 8.3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ARDT: 55.2% to $14.57.
07Which pays a better dividend — ARDT or ACHC?
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.
08Is ARDT or ACHC better for a retirement portfolio?
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 0.75)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ACHC: -57.7%, ARDT: -41.5%), 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.
09What are the main differences between ARDT and ACHC?
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: ARDT is a small-cap deep-value stock; ACHC is a small-cap quality compounder 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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.