Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Enhabit, Inc. (EHAB) 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 EHAB's -1.1% |
| Value | AVAH | Lower P/E (12.2x vs 22.5x) |
| Quality / Margins | AVAH | 0.9% net margin vs EHAB's -1.1% |
| Stability / Safety | EHAB | Beta 0.56 vs AVAH's 0.82 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AVAH | +72.8% vs EHAB's +62.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AVAH | 1.0% ROA vs EHAB's -1.0%, ROIC 8.0% vs -7.3% |
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
Enhabit operates a network of home health and hospice care agencies across the United States, providing skilled nursing, therapy services, and end-of-life care to patients in their homes. The company generates revenue primarily from Medicare reimbursements — which account for the vast majority of its income — along with payments from Medicaid, private insurers, and patients. Its competitive advantage lies in its extensive geographic footprint across 34 states, which creates referral network effects and operational scale in a fragmented industry.
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 2 of 6 categories (Profitability & Efficiency, Total Returns). EHAB leads in 1 (Risk & Volatility). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AVAH is the larger business by revenue, generating $2.2B annually — 2.1x EHAB's $1.0B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 0.9% (AVAH) to -1.1% (EHAB). On growth, AVAH holds the edge at +16.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | EHABEnhabit, Inc. | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.0B | $2.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $34M | $240M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$12M | $19M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $58M | $79M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +48.4% | +33.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.8% | +9.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.1% | +0.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +5.5% | +3.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +3.9% | +16.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +110.0% | +84.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EHABEnhabit, Inc. | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $686M | $1.5B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.2B | $3.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -4.38x | -129.81x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 22.50x | 12.16x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 17.26x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.66x | 0.76x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.23x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 14.47x | 58.24x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AVAH scores 6/9 vs EHAB's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | EHABEnhabit, Inc. | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -2.0% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -1.0% | +1.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -7.3% | +8.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -9.6% | +11.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.03x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $541M | $1.4B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $28M | $84M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $570M | $1.5B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.93x | 1.34x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AVAH five years ago would be worth $6,133 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,444 for EHAB. Over the past 12 months, AVAH leads with a +72.8% total return vs EHAB's +62.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AVAH at 82.0% vs EHAB's -3.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | EHABEnhabit, Inc. | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +49.7% | -8.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +62.6% | +72.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -11.3% | +503.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -45.6% | -38.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -45.6% | -38.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -3.9% | +82.0% |
Risk & Volatility
EHAB is the less volatile stock with a 0.56 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. EHAB currently trades 99.8% from its 52-week high vs AVAH's 71.3% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | EHABEnhabit, Inc. | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.56x | 0.82x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $13.64 | $10.32 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $6.47 | $3.67 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.8% | +71.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 84.1 | 33.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 419K | 978K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates EHAB as "Hold" and AVAH as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 51.8% upside for AVAH (target: $11) vs -0.6% for EHAB (target: $14).
| Metric | EHABEnhabit, Inc. | AVAHAveanna Healthcar… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $13.53 | $11.17 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 11 | 12 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jun 22 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhabit, Inc. (EHAB) | 100 | 43.08 | -56.9% |
| Aveanna Healthcare … (AVAH) | 100 | 351.48 | +251.5% |
Aveanna Healthcare … (AVAH) returned -39% over 5 years vs Enhabit, Inc. (EHAB)'s -46%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhabit, Inc. (EHAB) | $1.1B | $1.0B | -4.0% |
| Aveanna Healthcare … (AVAH) | $1.3B | $2.0B | +61.5% |
Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc.'s revenue grew from $1.3B (2018) to $2.0B (2024) — a 8.3% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhabit, Inc. (EHAB) | 7.0% | -15.1% | -317.0% |
| Aveanna Healthcare … (AVAH) | -3.8% | -0.5% | +85.6% |
Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc.'s net margin went from -4% (2018) to -1% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhabit, Inc. (EHAB) | 19.23 | -3.11 | -116.2% |
| Aveanna Healthcare … (AVAH) | -0.26 | -0.06 | +78.2% |
Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.26 (2018) to $-0.06 (2024).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Enhabit, Inc. generated $47M FCF in 2024 (-60% vs 2021). Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. generated $26M FCF in 2024 (+196% vs 2021).
EHAB vs AVAH: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is EHAB or AVAH a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Enhabit, Inc. (EHAB) a "Hold" — based on 11 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 — EHAB or AVAH?
Over the past 5 years, Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AVAH) delivered a total return of -38.7%, compared to -45.6% for Enhabit, Inc. (EHAB). A $10,000 investment in AVAH five years ago would be worth approximately $6K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AVAH returned -38.7% versus EHAB's -45.6%. 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 — EHAB or AVAH?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Enhabit, Inc. (EHAB) is the lower-risk stock at 0.56β versus Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc.'s 0.82β — meaning AVAH is approximately 45% more volatile than EHAB relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — EHAB or AVAH?
Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AVAH) is the more profitable company, earning -0.5% net margin versus -15.1% for Enhabit, Inc. — meaning it keeps -0.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AVAH leads at 6.9% versus -11.1% for EHAB. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — EHAB leads at 48.7%, 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 EHAB or AVAH more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AVAH) trades at 12.2x forward P/E versus 22.5x for Enhabit, Inc. — 10.3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AVAH: 51.8% to $11.17.
06Which pays a better dividend — EHAB or AVAH?
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 EHAB or AVAH better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Enhabit, Inc. (EHAB) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.56)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (EHAB: -45.6%, 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.
08What are the main differences between EHAB 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. 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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