Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Chemed Corporation (CHE) vs Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AVAH) 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 | AVAH | 6.8% revenue growth vs CHE's 4.1% |
| Value | AVAH | Lower P/E (12.2x vs 16.8x) |
| Quality / Margins | CHE | 10.5% net margin vs AVAH's 0.9% |
| Stability / Safety | CHE | Beta 0.27 vs AVAH's 0.82 |
| Dividends | CHE | 0.5% yield; 18-year raise streak; AVAH pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AVAH | +72.8% vs CHE's -31.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CHE | 17.2% ROA vs AVAH's 1.0%, ROIC 23.8% vs 8.0% |
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
Chemed Corporation operates two distinct healthcare and home services businesses. It generates revenue primarily from hospice care services through its VITAS segment (~70% of revenue) and plumbing/drain cleaning services through its Roto-Rooter segment (~30%). The company benefits from strong brand recognition in both sectors—VITAS as a leading hospice provider and Roto-Rooter as a trusted plumbing service name—creating dual moats in specialized healthcare and essential home services.
Aveanna Healthcare is a diversified home care platform that provides private duty nursing, adult home health and hospice, pediatric therapy, and enteral nutrition services across the United States. It generates revenue primarily through its Private Duty Services segment — which accounts for roughly 70% of total revenue — along with Home Health & Hospice and Medical Solutions segments, all reimbursed by government payors like Medicaid and Medicare. The company's key advantage is its patient-centered care delivery platform that keeps patients in their homes while minimizing costly hospital utilization, creating a scalable model for medically fragile populations.
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
AVAH leads in 1 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics). CHE leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 3 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CHE and AVAH operate at a comparable scale, with $2.5B and $2.2B in trailing revenue. CHE is the more profitable business, keeping 10.5% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AVAH's 0.9%. On growth, AVAH holds the edge at +16.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | CHEChemed Corporation | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.5B | $2.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $387M | $240M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $265M | $19M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $325M | $79M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +23.0% | +33.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +13.4% | +9.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +10.5% | +0.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +12.9% | +3.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -0.1% | +16.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -9.0% | +84.1% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, AVAH's 17.3x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than CHE's 17.3x.
| Metric | CHEChemed Corporation | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $5.8B | $1.5B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $5.9B | $3.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 22.26x | -129.81x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 16.75x | 12.16x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 17.31x | 17.26x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.29x | 0.76x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 6.03x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 17.77x | 58.24x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AVAH scores 6/9 vs CHE's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | CHEChemed Corporation | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +27.1% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +17.2% | +1.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +23.8% | +8.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +25.7% | +11.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.15x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $69M | $1.4B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $75M | $84M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $144M | $1.5B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 112.39x | 1.34x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CHE five years ago would be worth $9,392 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $6,133 for AVAH. Over the past 12 months, AVAH leads with a +72.8% total return vs CHE's -31.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AVAH at 82.0% vs CHE's -7.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | CHEChemed Corporation | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -3.1% | -8.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -31.4% | +72.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -20.3% | +503.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -6.1% | -38.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +230.4% | -38.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -7.3% | +82.0% |
Risk & Volatility
CHE is the less volatile stock with a 0.27 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AVAH's 0.82 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. AVAH currently trades 71.3% from its 52-week high vs CHE's 65.7% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | CHEChemed Corporation | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.27x | 0.82x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $623.61 | $10.32 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $385.10 | $3.67 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +65.7% | +71.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 28.2 | 33.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 128K | 978K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates CHE as "Hold" and AVAH as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 51.8% upside for AVAH (target: $11) vs 15.9% for CHE (target: $475). CHE is the only dividend payer here at 0.54% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | CHEChemed Corporation | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $475.00 | $11.17 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 9 | 12 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.5% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 18 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $2.20 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +7.5% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | May 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemed Corporation (CHE) | 100 | 90.26 | -9.7% |
| Aveanna Healthcare … (AVAH) | 98.33 | 69.42 | -29.4% |
Chemed Corporation (CHE) returned -6% over 5 years vs Aveanna Healthcare … (AVAH)'s -39%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemed Corporation (CHE) | $1.6B | $2.5B | +60.4% |
| Aveanna Healthcare … (AVAH) | $1.3B | $2.0B | +61.5% |
Chemed Corporation's revenue grew from $1.6B (2016) to $2.5B (2025) — a 5.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemed Corporation (CHE) | 6.9% | 10.5% | +52.0% |
| Aveanna Healthcare … (AVAH) | -3.8% | -0.5% | +85.6% |
Chemed Corporation's net margin went from 7% (2016) to 10% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemed Corporation (CHE) | 41.5 | 23.2 | -44.1% |
Chemed Corporation has traded in a 23x–42x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~22x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemed Corporation (CHE) | 6.48 | 18.42 | +184.3% |
| Aveanna Healthcare … (AVAH) | -0.26 | -0.06 | +78.2% |
Chemed Corporation's EPS grew from $6.48 (2016) to $18.42 (2025) — a 12% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Chemed Corporation generated $325M FCF in 2025 (+30% vs 2021). Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. generated $26M FCF in 2024 (+196% vs 2021).
CHE vs AVAH: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is CHE or AVAH a better buy right now?
Chemed Corporation (CHE) offers the better valuation at 22.3x trailing P/E (16.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Chemed Corporation (CHE) a "Hold" — based on 9 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 — CHE or AVAH?
On forward P/E, Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. is actually cheaper at 12.2x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — CHE or AVAH?
Over the past 5 years, Chemed Corporation (CHE) delivered a total return of -6.1%, compared to -38.7% for Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AVAH). A $10,000 investment in CHE five years ago would be worth approximately $9K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CHE returned +230.4% versus AVAH's -38.7%. 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 — CHE or AVAH?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Chemed Corporation (CHE) is the lower-risk stock at 0.27β versus Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc.'s 0.82β — meaning AVAH is approximately 201% more volatile than CHE relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — CHE or AVAH?
Chemed Corporation (CHE) is the more profitable company, earning 10.5% net margin versus -0.5% for Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. — meaning it keeps 10.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CHE leads at 13.4% versus 6.9% for AVAH. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AVAH leads at 31.4%, 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.
06Is CHE or AVAH more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AVAH) trades at 12.2x forward P/E versus 16.8x for Chemed Corporation — 4.6x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AVAH: 51.8% to $11.17.
07Which pays a better dividend — CHE or AVAH?
In this comparison, CHE (0.5% yield) pays a dividend. AVAH does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is CHE or AVAH better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Chemed Corporation (CHE) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.27), 0.5% yield, +230.4% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CHE: +230.4%, AVAH: -38.7%), 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.
09What are the main differences between CHE and AVAH?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. CHE pays a dividend while AVAH 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.
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