Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Sonida Senior Living, Inc. (SNDA) vs Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) 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 | SNDA | 19.2% revenue growth vs BKD's 7.3% |
| Quality / Margins | BKD | -8.2% net margin vs SNDA's -12.4% |
| Stability / Safety | BKD | Beta 0.88 vs SNDA's 1.06 |
| Dividends | SNDA | 0.6% yield; BKD pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | BKD | +168.4% vs SNDA's +47.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | BKD | -4.4% ROA vs SNDA's -5.4%, ROIC 2.0% vs -1.7% |
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
Sonida Senior Living operates senior housing communities across the United States, providing independent living, assisted living, and memory care services. The company generates revenue primarily from resident fees — including monthly rent and service charges — with its assisted living and memory care segments typically commanding higher rates due to the specialized care provided. Its competitive advantage lies in its operational expertise in managing a portfolio of owned communities, which creates economies of scale and allows for consistent service delivery across locations.
Brookdale Senior Living is a leading operator of senior living communities across the United States, providing independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing services. It generates revenue primarily through resident fees — with assisted living and memory care contributing about 60% of revenue, independent living around 30%, and continuing care retirement communities making up the remainder. The company's scale advantage — operating over 600 communities nationwide — creates operational efficiencies and brand recognition that smaller regional operators cannot match.
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
BKD leads in 4 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics. 1 category is tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BKD is the larger business by revenue, generating $3.2B annually — 8.5x SNDA's $375M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from -8.2% (BKD) to -12.4% (SNDA). On growth, SNDA holds the edge at +31.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | SNDASonida Senior Liv… | BKDBrookdale Senior … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $375M | $3.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $40M | $441M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$47M | -$263M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$10M | $80M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +91.4% | +88.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -4.0% | +2.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -12.4% | -8.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -2.7% | +2.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +31.2% | +11.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -59.2% | +54.1% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, BKD's 10.2x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than SNDA's 45.0x.
| Metric | SNDASonida Senior Liv… | BKDBrookdale Senior … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $682M | $3.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.3B | $4.5B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -66.46x | -13.66x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 45.04x | 10.21x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.24x | 1.14x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 3.91x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 16.68x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SNDA delivers a -53.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-54 in annual profit, vs $-3 for BKD. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), BKD scores 6/9 vs SNDA's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | SNDASonida Senior Liv… | BKDBrookdale Senior … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -53.8% | -3.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -5.4% | -4.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -1.7% | +2.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -2.3% | +1.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 5.03x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $634M | $869M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $17M | $279M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $651M | $1.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -0.26x | 11.24x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in BKD five years ago would be worth $26,842 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $12,300 for SNDA. Over the past 12 months, BKD leads with a +168.4% total return vs SNDA's +47.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors BKD at 67.9% vs SNDA's 45.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SNDASonida Senior Liv… | BKDBrookdale Senior … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +12.4% | +41.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +47.7% | +168.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +208.3% | +373.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +23.0% | +168.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -86.0% | +6.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +45.5% | +67.9% |
Risk & Volatility
BKD is the less volatile stock with a 0.88 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SNDA's 1.06 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. SNDA currently trades 98.6% from its 52-week high vs BKD's 90.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SNDASonida Senior Liv… | BKDBrookdale Senior … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.06x | 0.88x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $36.40 | $17.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $19.34 | $4.97 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +98.6% | +90.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 70.7 | 54.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 39K | 4.6M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates SNDA as "Hold" and BKD as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 14.4% upside for BKD (target: $18) vs -12.2% for SNDA (target: $32). SNDA is the only dividend payer here at 0.56% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | SNDASonida Senior Liv… | BKDBrookdale Senior … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $31.50 | $17.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 2 | 12 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.6% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.20 | — |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonida Senior Livin… (SNDA) | 100 | 83.54 | -16.5% |
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | 100 | 256.98 | +157.0% |
Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) returned +168% over 5 years vs Sonida Senior Livin… (SNDA)'s +23%. A $10,000 investment in BKD 5 years ago would be worth $26,842 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonida Senior Livin… (SNDA) | $447M | $304M | -32.0% |
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | $4.2B | $3.2B | -24.5% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s revenue grew from $4.2B (2016) to $3.2B (2025) — a -3.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonida Senior Livin… (SNDA) | -6.3% | -0.7% | +89.2% |
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | -9.5% | -8.2% | +13.8% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s net margin went from -10% (2016) to -8% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonida Senior Livin… (SNDA) | -14.54 | -0.54 | +96.3% |
| Brookdale Senior Li… (BKD) | -2.18 | -1.12 | +48.6% |
Brookdale Senior Living Inc.'s EPS grew from $-2.18 (2016) to $-1.12 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Sonida Senior Living, Inc. generated $-27M FCF in 2024 (+31% vs 2021). Brookdale Senior Living Inc. generated $218M FCF in 2025 (+180% vs 2021).
SNDA vs BKD: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SNDA or BKD a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) 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 is the better long-term investment — SNDA or BKD?
Over the past 5 years, Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) delivered a total return of +168.4%, compared to +23.0% for Sonida Senior Living, Inc. (SNDA). A $10,000 investment in BKD five years ago would be worth approximately $27K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: BKD returned +6.5% versus SNDA's -86.0%. 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 — SNDA or BKD?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BKD) is the lower-risk stock at 0.88β versus Sonida Senior Living, Inc.'s 1.06β — meaning SNDA is approximately 21% more volatile than BKD relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — SNDA or BKD?
Sonida Senior Living, Inc. (SNDA) is the more profitable company, earning -0.7% net margin versus -8.2% for Brookdale Senior Living Inc. — meaning it keeps -0.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: BKD leads at 2.7% versus -4.9% for SNDA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SNDA leads at 89.1%, 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — SNDA or BKD?
In this comparison, SNDA (0.6% yield) pays a dividend. BKD does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is SNDA or BKD better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Sonida Senior Living, Inc. (SNDA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.06), 0.6% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SNDA: -86.0%, BKD: +6.5%), 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.
07What are the main differences between SNDA and BKD?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. SNDA pays a dividend while BKD 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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