Compare Auna S.A. (AUNA) vs Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) 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 Auna S.A. at 11.0x. On forward P/E, Auna S.A. is actually cheaper at 1.6x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) delivered a total return of -41.5%, compared to -44.4% for Auna S.A. (AUNA). 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 AUNA's -44.4%. 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), Auna S.A. (AUNA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.43β versus Ardent Health Partners, LLC's 0.88β — meaning ARDT is approximately 104% more volatile than AUNA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 150% versus 2% for Auna S.A. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) is the more profitable company, earning 3.5% net margin versus 2.5% for Auna S.A. — meaning it keeps 3.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AUNA leads at 16.1% 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.

On forward earnings alone, Auna S.A. (AUNA) trades at 1.6x forward P/E versus 7.4x for Ardent Health Partners, LLC — 5.8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ARDT: 55.2% to $14.57.

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.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Auna S.A. (AUNA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.43)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AUNA: -44.4%, 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.

Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. 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.