Compare Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) vs Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) Stock

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.

On trailing P/E, Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) is the cheapest at 5.9x versus Universal Health Realty Income Trust at 34.3x. On forward P/E, Ardent Health Partners, LLC is actually cheaper at 7.4x.

Over the past 5 years, Universal Health Realty Income Trust (UHT) delivered a total return of -7.4%, compared to -41.5% for Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT). 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 ARDT's -41.5%. 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 Ardent Health Partners, LLC's 0.88β — meaning ARDT is approximately 267% 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 3.5% for Ardent Health Partners, LLC — 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 6.8% for ARDT. 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, Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) trades at 7.4x forward P/E versus 25.2x for Universal Health Realty Income Trust — 17.8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis.

In this comparison, UHT (6.8% yield) pays a dividend. ARDT 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%, 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.

These companies operate in different sectors (ARDT (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: ARDT is a small-cap deep-value stock; UHT is a small-cap income-oriented stock. UHT pays a dividend while ARDT 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.