Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) vs HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) vs Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) vs Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) vs Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) 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 | UHS | 9.7% revenue growth vs MPW's -2.4% |
| Value | UHS | Lower P/E (8.8x vs 15.7x) |
| Quality / Margins | HCA | 9.0% net margin vs ACHC's -33.3% |
| Stability / Safety | HCA | Beta 0.29 vs THC's 0.93 |
| Dividends | HCA | 0.6% yield, 5-year raise streak, vs UHS's 0.4% |
| Momentum (1Y) | THC | +89.1% vs ACHC's -21.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | HCA | 11.2% ROA vs ACHC's -20.0%, ROIC 19.9% vs 5.9% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Valuation efficiency (growth/$)
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Universal Health Services is a major hospital operator that owns and runs acute care hospitals alongside behavioral health facilities across the U.S. and internationally. It generates revenue primarily from patient services—split roughly 60% from acute care and 40% from behavioral health—with payments coming from government programs, private insurers, and self-pay patients. The company's scale and geographic diversification across hundreds of facilities create operational efficiencies and a stable revenue base that smaller regional operators cannot match.
HCA Healthcare is one of the largest for-profit hospital operators in the United States, providing comprehensive medical and surgical services through its network of acute care hospitals and outpatient facilities. It generates revenue primarily from patient services — including inpatient hospital stays, outpatient procedures, and emergency care — with the vast majority coming from government programs like Medicare and Medicaid alongside private insurance reimbursements. The company's scale advantage — operating over 180 hospitals concentrated in high-growth markets — creates significant purchasing power with suppliers and negotiating leverage with payers.
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.
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.
Acadia Healthcare operates a network of behavioral healthcare facilities — including psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, and outpatient clinics — across the United States and Puerto Rico. It generates revenue primarily from patient services reimbursed by government payers like Medicaid and Medicare (roughly 50-60%) and commercial insurance (roughly 30-40%). The company's competitive advantage lies in its scale as one of the largest pure-play behavioral health providers, creating operational efficiencies and a broad geographic footprint that supports patient access and referral networks.
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 5 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
HCA leads in 2 of 6 categories (Profitability & Efficiency, Analyst Outlook). MPW leads in 1 (Financial Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
HCA is the larger business by revenue, generating $75.6B annually — 77.8x MPW's $972M. HCA is the more profitable business, keeping 9.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ACHC's -33.3%. On growth, MPW holds the edge at +14.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | UHSUniversal Health … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… | THCTenet Healthcare … | MPWMedical Propertie… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $17.4B | $75.6B | $21.3B | $972M | $3.3B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $2.6B | $15.5B | $4.4B | $663M | $513M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $1.5B | $6.8B | $1.4B | -$199M | -$1.1B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $831M | $7.7B | $2.5B | $0 | -$440M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +67.0% | +41.5% | +55.9% | +55.7% | +60.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +11.5% | +15.8% | +16.5% | +38.1% | +9.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +8.6% | +9.0% | +6.6% | -20.4% | -33.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +4.8% | +10.2% | +11.9% | +23.7% | -13.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +9.1% | +6.7% | +9.0% | +14.9% | +6.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +41.3% | +44.6% | +27.1% | +123.2% | -38.2% |
Valuation Metrics
At 8.9x trailing earnings, UHS trades at a 52% valuation discount to HCA's 18.7x P/E. Adjusting for growth (PEG ratio), THC offers better value at 0.47x vs HCA's 0.89x — a lower PEG means you pay less per unit of expected earnings growth.
| Metric | UHSUniversal Health … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… | THCTenet Healthcare … | MPWMedical Propertie… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3M | $118.5B | $21.0B | $3.2B | $2.1B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $5.0B | $167.6B | $31.3B | $2.8B | $4.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 8.92x | 18.66x | 15.45x | -16.48x | -1.93x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 8.80x | 17.50x | 14.12x | 47.59x | 15.68x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.56x | 0.89x | 0.47x | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 1.93x | 10.82x | 7.17x | 100.95x | 8.02x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.00x | 1.57x | 0.99x | 3.34x | 0.64x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.79x | — | 2.42x | 0.71x | 0.99x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 0.00x | 15.40x | 8.32x | 14.07x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
UHS delivers a 20.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $20 in annual profit, vs $-52 for ACHC. MPW carries lower financial leverage with a 0.03x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to THC's 1.47x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), UHS scores 7/9 vs ACHC's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | UHSUniversal Health … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… | THCTenet Healthcare … | MPWMedical Propertie… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +20.1% | — | +15.7% | -4.3% | -51.5% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +9.6% | +11.2% | +4.7% | -1.3% | -20.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +12.4% | +19.9% | +13.5% | — | +5.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +16.2% | +27.0% | +14.1% | — | +7.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.70x | — | 1.47x | 0.03x | 1.23x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $5.0B | $49.2B | $10.3B | -$413M | $2.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $138M | $1.0B | $2.9B | $541M | $133M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $5.2B | $50.2B | $13.2B | $128M | $2.6B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 9.66x | 5.37x | 5.85x | — | 1.82x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in THC five years ago would be worth $45,270 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $4,183 for ACHC. Over the past 12 months, THC leads with a +89.1% total return vs ACHC's -21.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors THC at 59.9% vs ACHC's -31.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | UHSUniversal Health … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… | THCTenet Healthcare … | MPWMedical Propertie… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -6.3% | +12.6% | +20.0% | +7.1% | +64.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +18.1% | +73.9% | +89.1% | -2.2% | -21.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +56.1% | +120.8% | +309.0% | -31.0% | -67.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +64.3% | +208.8% | +352.7% | -56.5% | -58.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +92.1% | +688.3% | +864.5% | +24.1% | -57.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +16.0% | +30.2% | +59.9% | -11.6% | -31.4% |
Risk & Volatility
HCA is the less volatile stock with a 0.29 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than THC's 0.93 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 ACHC's 69.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | UHSUniversal Health … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… | THCTenet Healthcare … | MPWMedical Propertie… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.69x | 0.29x | 0.93x | 0.72x | 0.75x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $246.33 | $552.90 | $240.57 | $6.34 | $33.58 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $152.33 | $295.00 | $109.82 | $3.95 | $11.43 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +83.7% | +95.8% | +99.5% | +85.8% | +69.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 36.4 | 56.0 | 74.5 | 64.2 | 84.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 578K | 879K | 826K | 5.7M | 3.0M |
Analyst Outlook
Analyst consensus: UHS as "Hold", HCA as "Buy", THC as "Buy", MPW as "Hold", ACHC as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 19.2% upside for UHS (target: $246) vs -15.4% for ACHC (target: $20). For income investors, HCA offers the higher dividend yield at 0.56% vs UHS's 0.39%.
| Metric | UHSUniversal Health … | HCAHCA Healthcare, I… | THCTenet Healthcare … | MPWMedical Propertie… | ACHCAcadia Healthcare… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy | Buy | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $245.67 | $523.92 | $257.45 | $5.00 | $19.82 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 43 | 46 | 32 | 28 | 25 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.4% | +0.6% | — | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.80 | $2.94 | — | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +100.0% | +8.5% | +6.8% | 0.0% | +2.4% |
Historical Charts
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Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Health Se… (UHS) | 100 | 153.13 | +53.1% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 100 | 367.9 | +267.9% |
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | 100 | 662.08 | +562.1% |
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 100 | 22.53 | -77.5% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 100 | 44.14 | -55.9% |
Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) returned +353% over 5 years vs Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC)'s -58%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Health Se… (UHS) | $9.8B | $17.4B | +77.8% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | $41.5B | $75.6B | +82.2% |
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | $19.6B | $21.3B | +8.6% |
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | $541M | $972M | +79.6% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | $2.8B | $3.3B | +17.9% |
Universal Health Services, Inc.'s revenue grew from $9.8B (2016) to $17.4B (2025) — a 6.6% CAGR. HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s revenue grew from $41.5B (2016) to $75.6B (2025) — a 6.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Health Se… (UHS) | 7.2% | 8.6% | +19.2% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 7.0% | 9.0% | +28.8% |
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | -1.0% | 6.6% | +774.8% |
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 41.6% | -20.4% | -149.2% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 0.2% | -33.3% | -15335.0% |
Universal Health Services, Inc.'s net margin went from 7% (2016) to 9% (2025). HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s net margin went from 7% (2016) to 9% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Health Se… (UHS) | 14.5 | 9.4 | -35.2% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 14.8 | 16.5 | +11.5% |
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | 16 | 12.8 | -20.0% |
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 16.8 | 7.4 | -56.0% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 14.2 | 14.3 | +0.7% |
Universal Health Services, Inc. has traded in a 9x–16x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~9x. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has traded in a 12x–17x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~19x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Health Se… (UHS) | 7.14 | 23.1 | +223.5% |
| HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) | 7.3 | 28.38 | +288.8% |
| Tenet Healthcare Co… (THC) | -1.93 | 15.49 | +902.6% |
| Medical Properties … (MPW) | 0.86 | -0.33 | -138.4% |
| Acadia Healthcare C… (ACHC) | 0.07 | -12.16 | -17471.4% |
Universal Health Services, Inc.'s EPS grew from $7.14 (2016) to $23.10 (2025) — a 14% CAGR. HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s EPS grew from $7.30 (2016) to $28.38 (2025) — a 16% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Universal Health Services, Inc. generated $849M FCF in 2025 (+2929% vs 2021). HCA Healthcare, Inc. generated $8B FCF in 2025 (+43% vs 2021).
UHS vs HCA vs THC vs MPW vs ACHC: Key Questions Answered
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is UHS or HCA or THC or MPW or ACHC a better buy right now?
Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) offers the better valuation at 8.9x trailing P/E (8.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) a "Buy" — based on 46 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 — UHS or HCA or THC or MPW or ACHC?
On trailing P/E, Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) is the cheapest at 8.9x versus HCA Healthcare, Inc. at 18.7x. On forward P/E, Universal Health Services, Inc. is actually cheaper at 8.8x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Tenet Healthcare Corporation wins at 0.43x versus HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s 0.83x — a PEG below 1.0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — UHS or HCA or THC or MPW or ACHC?
Over the past 5 years, Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) delivered a total return of +352.7%, compared to -58.2% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC). 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 ACHC's -57.7%. 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 — UHS or HCA or THC or MPW or ACHC?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.29β versus Tenet Healthcare Corporation's 0.93β — meaning THC is approximately 215% more volatile than HCA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (MPW) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 3% versus 147% for Tenet Healthcare Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — UHS or HCA or THC or MPW or ACHC?
HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) is the more profitable company, earning 9.0% net margin versus -33.3% for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. — meaning it keeps 9.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MPW leads at 38.1% versus 11.5% for UHS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — UHS leads at 67.0%, 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 UHS or HCA or THC or MPW or ACHC more undervalued right now?
The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential. By this metric, Tenet Healthcare Corporation (THC) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0.43x versus HCA Healthcare, Inc.'s 0.83x. A PEG below 1.0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) trades at 8.8x forward P/E versus 47.6x for Medical Properties Trust, Inc. — 38.8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for UHS: 19.2% to $245.67.
07Which pays a better dividend — UHS or HCA or THC or MPW or ACHC?
In this comparison, HCA (0.6% yield), UHS (0.4% yield) pay a dividend. THC, MPW, ACHC do not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is UHS or HCA or THC or MPW or ACHC better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, HCA Healthcare, Inc. (HCA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.29), 0.6% yield, +688.3% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (HCA: +688.3%, ACHC: -57.7%), 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.
09What are the main differences between UHS and HCA and THC and MPW and ACHC?
These companies operate in different sectors (UHS (Healthcare) and HCA (Healthcare) and THC (Healthcare) and MPW (Real Estate) and ACHC (Healthcare)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced. In terms of investment character: UHS is a small-cap deep-value stock; HCA is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; THC is a mid-cap deep-value stock; MPW is a small-cap quality compounder stock; ACHC is a small-cap quality compounder stock. HCA pays a dividend while UHS, THC, MPW, ACHC do 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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