Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) 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 | THC | 3.1% revenue growth vs CYH's -1.2% |
| Value | CYH | Lower P/E (0.9x vs 14.1x) |
| Quality / Margins | THC | 6.6% net margin vs CYH's 4.1% |
| Stability / Safety | THC | Beta 0.93 vs CYH's 1.24 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | THC | +89.1% vs CYH's +15.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | THC | 4.7% ROA vs CYH's 3.9%, ROIC 13.5% vs 21.0% |
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
Tenet Healthcare is a diversified healthcare services company that operates hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and urgent care facilities. It generates revenue primarily from hospital operations (acute care services) and ambulatory care centers, with additional income from its Conifer segment providing revenue cycle management services to other healthcare providers. The company's scale and integrated network of facilities across multiple states create operational efficiencies and referral pathways that serve as its competitive advantage.
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
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
THC leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). CYH leads in 3 (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
THC is the larger business by revenue, generating $21.3B annually — 1.7x CYH's $12.5B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 6.6% (THC) to 4.1% (CYH). On growth, THC holds the edge at +9.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | THCTenet Healthcare … | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $21.3B | $12.5B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $4.4B | $1.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $1.4B | $509M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $2.5B | $302M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +55.9% | +56.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +16.5% | +11.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +6.6% | +4.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +11.9% | +2.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +9.0% | -4.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +27.1% | +2.5% |
Valuation Metrics
At 0.9x trailing earnings, CYH trades at a 94% valuation discount to THC's 15.5x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, CYH's 0.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than THC's 7.2x.
| Metric | THCTenet Healthcare … | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $21.0B | $485M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $31.3B | $888M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 15.45x | 0.92x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 14.12x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.47x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 7.17x | 0.46x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.99x | 0.04x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.42x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 8.32x | 2.33x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CYH scores 8/9 vs THC's 7/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | THCTenet Healthcare … | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +15.7% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +4.7% | +3.9% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +13.5% | +21.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +14.1% | +13.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.47x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $10.3B | $403M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2.9B | $260M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $13.2B | $663M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 5.85x | 0.86x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in THC five years ago would be worth $45,270 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $3,927 for CYH. Over the past 12 months, THC leads with a +89.1% total return vs CYH's +15.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors THC at 59.9% vs CYH's -17.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | THCTenet Healthcare … | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +20.0% | +11.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +89.1% | +15.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +309.0% | -42.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +352.7% | -60.7% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +864.5% | -77.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +59.9% | -17.0% |
Risk & Volatility
THC is the less volatile stock with a 0.93 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. THC currently trades 99.5% from its 52-week high vs CYH's 77.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | THCTenet Healthcare … | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.93x | 1.24x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $240.57 | $4.47 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $109.82 | $2.24 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.5% | +77.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 74.5 | 63.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 826K | 1.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates THC as "Buy" and CYH as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 7.5% upside for THC (target: $257) vs -1.7% for CYH (target: $3).
| Metric | THCTenet Healthcare … | CYHCommunity Health … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $257.45 | $3.40 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 32 | 37 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 2 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +6.8% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | 100 | 662.08 | +562.1% |
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | 100 | 65.37 | -34.6% |
Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) returned +353% over 5 years vs Community Health Sy… (CYH)'s -61%. A $10,000 investment in THC 5 years ago would be worth $45,270 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | $19.6B | $21.3B | +8.6% |
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | $18.4B | $12.5B | -32.3% |
Tenet Healthcare Corporation's revenue grew from $19.6B (2016) to $21.3B (2025) — a 0.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | -1.0% | 6.6% | +774.8% |
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | -9.3% | 4.1% | +143.7% |
Tenet Healthcare Corporation's net margin went from -1% (2016) to 7% (2025). Community Health Systems, Inc.'s net margin went from -9% (2016) to 4% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | 16 | 12.8 | -20.0% |
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | 1.7 | 0.8 | -52.9% |
Tenet Healthcare Corporation has traded in a 4x–16x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~15x. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | -1.93 | 15.49 | +902.6% |
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | -15.54 | 3.77 | +124.3% |
Tenet Healthcare Corporation's EPS grew from $-1.93 (2016) to $15.49 (2025). Community Health Systems, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-15.54 (2016) to $3.77 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Tenet Healthcare Corporation generated $3B FCF in 2025 (+178% vs 2021). Community Health Systems, Inc. generated $208M FCF in 2025 (+135% vs 2021).
THC vs CYH: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is THC 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 Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) a "Buy" — based on 32 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 — THC or CYH?
On trailing P/E, Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) is the cheapest at 0.9x versus Tenet Healthcare Corporation at 15.5x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — THC or CYH?
Over the past 5 years, Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) delivered a total return of +352.7%, compared to -60.7% for Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH). A $10,000 investment in THC five years ago would be worth approximately $45K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: THC returned +864.5% 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.
04Which is safer — THC or CYH?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) is the lower-risk stock at 0.93β versus Community Health Systems, Inc.'s 1.24β — meaning CYH is approximately 34% more volatile than THC relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — THC or CYH?
Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) is the more profitable company, earning 6.6% net margin versus 4.1% for Community Health Systems, Inc. — meaning it keeps 6.6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: THC leads at 16.5% 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.
06Is THC or CYH more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for THC: 7.5% to $257.45.
07Which pays a better dividend — THC 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.
08Is THC or CYH better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.93), +864.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (THC: +864.5%, 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.
09What are the main differences between THC and CYH?
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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