ACHC vs. HCA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ACHC and HCA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
HCA’s market capitalization of 90.60 billion USD is significantly greater than ACHC’s 2.15 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
HCA carries a higher beta at 1.50, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ACHC (beta: 0.94) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | ACHC | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. | HCA Healthcare, Inc. |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Medical - Care Facilities | Medical - Care Facilities |
| CEO | Christopher Howal Hunter | Samuel N. Hazen |
| Price | 23.36 USD | 376.58 USD |
| Market Cap | 2.15 billion USD | 90.60 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.94 | 1.50 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NYSE |
| IPO Date | March 4, 1994 | March 10, 2011 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ACHC and HCA by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ACHC
6.20%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 37.16%
- Q3
- 13.80%
- Median
- 6.51%
- Q1
- -11.55%
- Min
- -43.55%
ACHC’s Return on Equity of 6.20% is on par with the norm for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
HCA
-235.88%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 37.16%
- Q3
- 13.80%
- Median
- 6.51%
- Q1
- -11.55%
- Min
- -43.55%
HCA has a negative Return on Equity of -235.88%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.
Return on Invested Capital
ACHC
5.41%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 20.36%
- Q3
- 9.05%
- Median
- 5.41%
- Q1
- -1.08%
- Min
- -9.00%
ACHC’s Return on Invested Capital of 5.41% is in line with the norm for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.
HCA
16.94%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 20.36%
- Q3
- 9.05%
- Median
- 5.41%
- Q1
- -1.08%
- Min
- -9.00%
In the upper quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, HCA’s Return on Invested Capital of 16.94% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
ACHC
5.94%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 12.40%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- 3.17%
- Q1
- -3.80%
- Min
- -13.43%
ACHC’s Net Profit Margin of 5.94% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
HCA
8.07%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 12.40%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- 3.17%
- Q1
- -3.80%
- Min
- -13.43%
A Net Profit Margin of 8.07% places HCA in the upper quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
ACHC
12.89%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 17.86%
- Q3
- 10.40%
- Median
- 6.40%
- Q1
- 0.40%
- Min
- -10.86%
An Operating Profit Margin of 12.89% places ACHC in the upper quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
HCA
15.15%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 17.86%
- Q3
- 10.40%
- Median
- 6.40%
- Q1
- 0.40%
- Min
- -10.86%
An Operating Profit Margin of 15.15% places HCA in the upper quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ACHC | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 6.20% | -235.88% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.05% | 9.66% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 5.41% | 16.94% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 5.94% | 8.07% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.89% | 15.15% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 62.53% | 67.91% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ACHC
1.35
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.67
- Q3
- 1.76
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 1.12
- Min
- 0.57
ACHC’s Current Ratio of 1.35 aligns with the median group of the Medical - Care Facilities industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
HCA
1.19
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.67
- Q3
- 1.76
- Median
- 1.35
- Q1
- 1.12
- Min
- 0.57
HCA’s Current Ratio of 1.19 aligns with the median group of the Medical - Care Facilities industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ACHC
0.76
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.55
- Q3
- 1.40
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.26
- Min
- 0.01
ACHC’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.76 is typical for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
HCA
-13.20
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.55
- Q3
- 1.40
- Median
- 0.76
- Q1
- 0.26
- Min
- 0.01
HCA has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of -13.20, which indicates negative shareholder equity where liabilities exceed assets. This is a critical sign of financial distress.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ACHC
3.44
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 16.29
- Q3
- 6.85
- Median
- 2.93
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- -7.11
ACHC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.44 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
HCA
5.17
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 16.29
- Q3
- 6.85
- Median
- 2.93
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- -7.11
HCA’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.17 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ACHC | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.35 | 1.19 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 1.35 | 1.06 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 0.76 | -13.20 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.38 | 0.78 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 4.17 | 3.23 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 3.44 | 5.17 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ACHC and HCA. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ACHC
0.00%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.79%
- Q3
- 0.08%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ACHC currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
HCA
0.73%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.79%
- Q3
- 0.08%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
With a Dividend Yield of 0.73%, HCA offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Medical - Care Facilities industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ACHC
0.00%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 56.48%
- Q3
- 4.48%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ACHC has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
HCA
11.85%
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 56.48%
- Q3
- 4.48%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
HCA’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 11.85% is in the upper quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ACHC | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.73% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 11.85% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ACHC
11.41
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 40.40
- Q3
- 28.24
- Median
- 24.89
- Q1
- 13.53
- Min
- 8.53
In the lower quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry, ACHC’s P/E Ratio of 11.41 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.
HCA
16.25
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 40.40
- Q3
- 28.24
- Median
- 24.89
- Q1
- 13.53
- Min
- 8.53
HCA’s P/E Ratio of 16.25 is within the middle range for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ACHC
0.92
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 4.23
- Q3
- 3.06
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.04
ACHC’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.92 is within the middle range of its peers in the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
HCA
1.21
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 4.23
- Q3
- 3.06
- Median
- 1.16
- Q1
- 0.77
- Min
- 0.04
HCA’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.21 is within the middle range of its peers in the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ACHC
0.68
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.38
- Q3
- 1.50
- Median
- 0.79
- Q1
- 0.49
- Min
- 0.04
ACHC’s P/S Ratio of 0.68 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
HCA
1.27
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 2.38
- Q3
- 1.50
- Median
- 0.79
- Q1
- 0.49
- Min
- 0.04
HCA’s P/S Ratio of 1.27 aligns with the market consensus for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ACHC
0.70
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 7.73
- Q3
- 4.07
- Median
- 2.16
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- 0.66
ACHC’s P/B Ratio of 0.70 is in the lower quartile for the Medical - Care Facilities industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.
HCA
-26.69
Medical - Care Facilities Industry
- Max
- 7.73
- Q3
- 4.07
- Median
- 2.16
- Q1
- 1.44
- Min
- 0.66
HCA has a negative P/B Ratio of -26.69, indicating its liabilities exceed its assets and result in negative shareholder equity. This is a critical warning sign of financial distress.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ACHC | HCA |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 11.41 | 16.25 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 0.92 | 1.21 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 0.68 | 1.27 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 0.70 | -26.69 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -25.16 | 18.31 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 8.18 | 9.67 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 1.39 | 1.90 |