Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) vs Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) 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 | ACHC | 5.0% revenue growth vs CYH's -1.2% |
| Value | CYH | Lower P/E (0.9x vs 15.7x) |
| Quality / Margins | CYH | 4.1% net margin vs ACHC's -33.3% |
| Stability / Safety | ACHC | Beta 0.75 vs CYH's 1.24 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CYH | +15.0% vs ACHC's -21.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CYH | 3.9% ROA vs ACHC's -20.0%, ROIC 21.0% 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
Community Health Systems operates a network of general acute care hospitals across the United States. It generates revenue primarily from patient services — including inpatient care, emergency room visits, surgeries, and outpatient services — with Medicare and Medicaid representing significant portions of its payer mix. The company's scale as one of the largest for-profit hospital operators provides purchasing power and geographic diversification across multiple states.
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
CYH leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics. 2 categories are tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CYH is the larger business by revenue, generating $12.5B annually — 3.8x ACHC's $3.3B. CYH is the more profitable business, keeping 4.1% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ACHC's -33.3%. On growth, ACHC holds the edge at +6.1% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $12.5B | $3.3B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.9B | $513M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $509M | -$1.1B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $302M | -$440M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +56.7% | +60.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +11.9% | +9.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +4.1% | -33.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +2.4% | -13.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.9% | +6.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.5% | -38.2% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, CYH's 0.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than ACHC's 8.0x.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $485M | $2.1B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $888M | $4.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 0.92x | -1.93x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 15.68x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 0.46x | 8.02x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.04x | 0.64x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 0.99x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.33x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CYH scores 8/9 vs ACHC's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | -51.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +3.9% | -20.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +21.0% | +5.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +13.1% | +7.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.23x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $403M | $2.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $260M | $133M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $663M | $2.6B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.86x | 1.82x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ACHC five years ago would be worth $4,183 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $3,927 for CYH. Over the past 12 months, CYH leads with a +15.0% total return vs ACHC's -21.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CYH at -17.0% vs ACHC's -31.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.6% | +64.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +15.0% | -21.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -42.9% | -67.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -60.7% | -58.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -77.1% | -57.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -17.0% | -31.4% |
Risk & Volatility
ACHC is the less volatile stock with a 0.75 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CYH's 1.24 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. CYH currently trades 77.4% from its 52-week high vs ACHC's 69.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.24x | 0.75x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $4.47 | $33.58 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.24 | $11.43 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +77.4% | +69.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 63.3 | 84.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.4M | 3.0M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates CYH as "Hold" and ACHC as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply -1.7% upside for CYH (target: $3) vs -15.4% for ACHC (target: $20).
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $3.40 | $19.82 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 37 | 25 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 2 | 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 | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | 100 | 65.37 | -34.6% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 100 | 44.14 | -55.9% |
Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) returned -58% over 5 years vs Community Health Sy… (CYH)'s -61%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | $18.4B | $12.5B | -32.3% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | $2.8B | $3.3B | +17.9% |
Community Health Systems, Inc.'s revenue grew from $18.4B (2016) to $12.5B (2025) — a -4.2% CAGR. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | -9.3% | 4.1% | +143.7% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 0.2% | -33.3% | -15335.0% |
Community Health Systems, Inc.'s net margin went from -9% (2016) to 4% (2025). Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.'s net margin went from 0% (2016) to -33% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | 1.7 | 0.8 | -52.9% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 14.2 | 14.3 | +0.7% |
Community Health Systems, Inc. has traded in a 1x–12x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~1x. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | -15.54 | 3.77 | +124.3% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 0.07 | -12.16 | -17471.4% |
Community Health Systems, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-15.54 (2016) to $3.77 (2025). Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.07 (2016) to $-12.16 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Community Health Systems, Inc. generated $208M FCF in 2025 (+135% vs 2021). Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. generated $-440M FCF in 2025 (-439% vs 2021).
CYH vs ACHC: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is CYH or ACHC a better buy right now?
Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) offers the better valuation at 0.9x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) a "Buy" — based on 25 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 — CYH or ACHC?
Over the past 5 years, Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) delivered a total return of -58.2%, compared to -60.7% for Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH). A $10,000 investment in ACHC five years ago would be worth approximately $4K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ACHC returned -57.7% versus CYH's -77.1%. 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 — CYH or ACHC?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) is the lower-risk stock at 0.75β versus Community Health Systems, Inc.'s 1.24β — meaning CYH is approximately 65% more volatile than ACHC relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — CYH or ACHC?
Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) is the more profitable company, earning 4.1% net margin versus -33.3% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. — meaning it keeps 4.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CYH leads at 11.9% versus 11.7% for ACHC. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CYH leads at 56.7%, 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.
05Is CYH or ACHC more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for CYH: -1.7% to $3.40.
06Which pays a better dividend — CYH 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.
07Is CYH 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%, CYH: -77.1%), 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.
08What are the main differences between CYH 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: CYH 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.
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