Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) vs Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) 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 | CYH | -1.2% revenue growth vs MPW's -2.4% |
| Value | CYH | Lower P/E (0.9x vs 47.6x) |
| Quality / Margins | CYH | 4.1% net margin vs MPW's -20.4% |
| Stability / Safety | MPW | Beta 0.72 vs CYH's 1.24 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CYH | +15.0% vs MPW's -2.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CYH | 3.9% 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.
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.
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
CYH leads in 2 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Analyst Outlook). MPW leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CYH is the larger business by revenue, generating $12.5B annually — 12.8x MPW's $972M. CYH is the more profitable business, keeping 4.1% 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… | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $972M | $12.5B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $663M | $1.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$199M | $509M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $0 | $302M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +55.7% | +56.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +38.1% | +11.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -20.4% | +4.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +23.7% | +2.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +14.9% | -4.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +123.2% | +2.5% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, CYH's 0.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than MPW's 100.9x.
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.2B | $485M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.8B | $888M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -16.48x | 0.92x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 47.59x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 100.95x | 0.46x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.34x | 0.04x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.71x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 14.07x | 2.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CYH scores 8/9 vs MPW's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -4.3% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -1.3% | +3.9% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | — | +21.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | — | +13.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.03x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$413M | $403M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $541M | $260M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $128M | $663M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 0.86x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MPW five years ago would be worth $4,351 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $3,927 for CYH. Over the past 12 months, CYH leads with a +15.0% total return vs MPW's -2.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MPW at -11.6% vs CYH's -17.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +7.1% | +11.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -2.2% | +15.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -31.0% | -42.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -56.5% | -60.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +24.1% | -77.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -11.6% | -17.0% |
Risk & Volatility
MPW is the less volatile stock with a 0.72 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. MPW currently trades 85.8% from its 52-week high vs CYH's 77.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.72x | 1.24x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $6.34 | $4.47 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.95 | $2.24 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +85.8% | +77.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 64.2 | 63.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 5.7M | 1.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MPW as "Hold" and CYH as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply -1.7% upside for CYH (target: $3) vs -8.1% for MPW (target: $5).
| Metric | MPWMedical Propertie… | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $5.00 | $3.40 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 28 | 37 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 2 |
| 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 | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 100 | 22.53 | -77.5% |
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | 100 | 65.37 | -34.6% |
Medical Properties … (MPW) returned -56% over 5 years vs Community Health Sy… (CYH)'s -61%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | $541M | $972M | +79.6% |
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | $18.4B | $12.5B | -32.3% |
Medical Properties Trust, Inc.'s revenue grew from $541M (2016) to $972M (2025) — a 6.7% CAGR. Community Health Systems, Inc.'s revenue grew from $18.4B (2016) to $12.5B (2025) — a -4.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 41.6% | -20.4% | -149.2% |
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | -9.3% | 4.1% | +143.7% |
Medical Properties Trust, Inc.'s net margin went from 42% (2016) to -20% (2025). Community Health Systems, Inc.'s net margin went from -9% (2016) to 4% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 16.8 | 7.4 | -56.0% |
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | 1.7 | 0.8 | -52.9% |
Medical Properties Trust, Inc. has traded in a 6x–27x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~-16x. Community Health Systems, Inc. has traded in a 1x–12x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~1x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 0.86 | -0.33 | -138.4% |
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | -15.54 | 3.77 | +124.3% |
Medical Properties Trust, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.86 (2016) to $-0.33 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR. Community Health Systems, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-15.54 (2016) to $3.77 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Medical Properties Trust, Inc. generated $231M FCF in 2025 (-69% vs 2021). Community Health Systems, Inc. generated $208M FCF in 2025 (+135% vs 2021).
MPW vs CYH: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MPW or CYH 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 Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) a "Hold" — based on 28 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 — MPW or CYH?
Over the past 5 years, Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) delivered a total return of -56.5%, compared to -60.7% for Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH). A $10,000 investment in MPW five years ago would be worth approximately $4K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MPW returned +24.1% 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 — MPW or CYH?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) is the lower-risk stock at 0.72β versus Community Health Systems, Inc.'s 1.24β — meaning CYH is approximately 72% more volatile than MPW relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — MPW or CYH?
Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) is the more profitable company, earning 4.1% net margin versus -20.4% for Medical Properties Trust, Inc. — meaning it keeps 4.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MPW leads at 38.1% versus 11.9% for CYH. 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 MPW or CYH more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for CYH: -1.7% to $3.40.
06Which pays a better dividend — MPW or CYH?
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 MPW or CYH 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%, 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 MPW and CYH?
These companies operate in different sectors (MPW (Real Estate) and CYH (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; CYH 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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