Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) vs Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) 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 | ARDT | 10.3% revenue growth vs MPW's -2.4% |
| Value | ARDT | Lower P/E (7.4x vs 47.6x) |
| Quality / Margins | ARDT | 3.2% net margin vs MPW's -20.4% |
| Stability / Safety | MPW | Beta 0.72 vs ARDT's 0.88, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | MPW | -2.2% vs ARDT's -35.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ARDT | 4.0% ROA vs MPW's -1.3% |
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
Medical Properties Trust is a real estate investment trust that acquires and leases hospital facilities to healthcare operators. It generates revenue primarily through long-term triple-net leases—where tenants pay rent plus property expenses—with hospital operators across nine countries. The company's moat lies in its specialized expertise in hospital real estate and its ability to provide capital solutions that allow operators to monetize their real estate assets while maintaining operational control.
Ardent Health Partners operates a network of acute care hospitals and clinics providing comprehensive healthcare services across the United States. It generates revenue primarily from patient care services — including inpatient and outpatient treatments, surgeries, and rehabilitation — with the majority coming from government and private insurance reimbursements. The company benefits from its regional concentration in key markets, which creates operational efficiencies and strong local physician relationships that drive patient referrals.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
MPW leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). ARDT leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Analyst Outlook). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ARDT is the larger business by revenue, generating $6.3B annually — 6.5x MPW's $972M. ARDT is the more profitable business, keeping 3.2% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to MPW's -20.4%. On growth, MPW holds the edge at +14.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $972M | $6.3B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $663M | $948M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$199M | $205M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $0 | $155M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +55.7% | +70.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +38.1% | +12.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -20.4% | +3.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +23.7% | +2.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +14.9% | +8.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +123.2% | -189.5% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, ARDT's 5.6x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than MPW's 100.9x.
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.2B | $1.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.8B | $3.1B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -16.48x | 5.94x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 47.59x | 7.38x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.08x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 100.95x | 5.55x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.34x | 0.22x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.71x | 0.82x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 14.07x | 10.51x |
Profitability & Efficiency
ARDT delivers a 12.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $13 in annual profit, vs $-4 for MPW. MPW carries lower financial leverage with a 0.03x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ARDT's 1.50x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ARDT scores 8/9 vs MPW's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -4.3% | +12.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -1.3% | +4.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | +9.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | — | +10.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.03x | 1.50x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$413M | $1.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $541M | $557M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $128M | $2.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 7.08x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ARDT five years ago would be worth $5,847 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4,351 for MPW. Over the past 12 months, MPW leads with a -2.2% total return vs ARDT's -35.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MPW at -11.6% vs ARDT's -16.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +7.1% | +8.7% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -2.2% | -35.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -31.0% | -41.5% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -56.5% | -41.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +24.1% | -41.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -11.6% | -16.4% |
Risk & Volatility
MPW is the less volatile stock with a 0.72 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ARDT's 0.88 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. MPW currently trades 85.8% from its 52-week high vs ARDT's 60.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.72x | 0.88x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $6.34 | $15.55 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.95 | $8.07 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +85.8% | +60.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 64.2 | 55.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 5.7M | 341K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MPW as "Hold" and ARDT as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 55.2% upside for ARDT (target: $15) vs -8.1% for MPW (target: $5).
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $5.00 | $14.57 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 28 | 12 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 1 |
| 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 | Aug 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 100 | 108.42 | +8.4% |
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | 111.89 | 53.49 | -52.2% |
Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) returned -42% over 5 years vs Medical Properties … (MPW)'s -56%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | $541M | $972M | +79.6% |
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | $2.1B | $6.0B | +183.4% |
Medical Properties Trust, Inc.'s revenue grew from $541M (2016) to $972M (2025) — a 6.7% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 41.6% | -20.4% | -149.2% |
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | 0.7% | 3.5% | +408.3% |
Medical Properties Trust, Inc.'s net margin went from 42% (2016) to -20% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 6 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2022 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 16.8 | 7.4 | -56.0% |
Medical Properties Trust, Inc. has traded in a 6x–27x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~-16x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 0.86 | -0.33 | -138.4% |
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | 0.1 | 1.58 | +1480.0% |
Medical Properties Trust, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.86 (2016) to $-0.33 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Medical Properties Trust, Inc. generated $231M FCF in 2025 (-69% vs 2021). Ardent Health Partners, LLC generated $128M FCF in 2024 (+167% vs 2022).
MPW vs ARDT: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MPW or ARDT a better buy right now?
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.
02Which has the better valuation — MPW or ARDT?
On forward P/E, Ardent Health Partners, LLC is actually cheaper at 7.4x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — MPW or ARDT?
Over the past 5 years, Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) delivered a total return of -41.5%, compared to -56.5% for Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW). 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: MPW returned +24.1% 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.
04Which is safer — MPW or ARDT?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) is the lower-risk stock at 0.72β versus Ardent Health Partners, LLC's 0.88β — meaning ARDT is approximately 23% more volatile than MPW relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 150% for Ardent Health Partners, LLC — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — MPW or ARDT?
Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) is the more profitable company, earning 3.5% net margin versus -20.4% for Medical Properties Trust, Inc. — meaning it keeps 3.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MPW leads at 38.1% 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.
06Is MPW or ARDT more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) trades at 7.4x forward P/E versus 47.6x for Medical Properties Trust, Inc. — 40.2x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ARDT: 55.2% to $14.57.
07Which pays a better dividend — MPW or ARDT?
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.
08Is MPW or ARDT better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.72)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MPW: +24.1%, 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.
09What are the main differences between MPW and ARDT?
These companies operate in different sectors (MPW (Real Estate) and ARDT (Healthcare)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced. In terms of investment character: MPW is a small-cap quality compounder stock; ARDT is a small-cap deep-value 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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