ACHC

Acadia Healthcare Co

Fundamental data last updated:April 13, 2026

company profile

SECTOR

Healthcare

industry

Medical Care Facilities

Exchange

Nasdaq

County of HQ

United States

Next Earnings Date

04/29/26

Business Summary

Acadia Healthcare operates inpatient behavioral health and addiction treatment facilities, generating revenue through patient admissions, treatment programs, and facility-based care services. Its cash flow model depends on occupancy rates, reimbursement contracts, and cost control within fixed facility infrastructures. The moat, such as it is, comes from regulatory licensing, facility networks, and referral relationships that create barriers to rapid new competition. Scale in operations and geographic footprint can provide negotiating leverage with payors, but sustained profitability ultimately depends on maintaining margins in a highly regulated reimbursement environment.

VALUATION

P/E

-

Market Cap ($M USD)

$2,387

Forward P/E

15.5

PEG

2.3

PRICE TO SALES

0.7

PRICE TO BOOK

1.2

EV / EBITDA

-6.6

5-Year Average P/E

DIVIDEND

Yield

-

Annual Payout

-

Payout Ratio

-

Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth

0

5-Year Dividend Growth Rate

-

Financial Health & Profitability

Earnings Per Share

-$12.16

Next Year EPS Growth Estimate

$1.68

Next Year Revenue Growth Estimate

5.80%

Return on Equity (ROE)

-56.60%

Operating Margin

11.70%

Debt-to-Equity

1.4

Piotroski F-Score

6

Altman Z-Score

1.1

Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)

-20.40%%

Current Ratio

1.6

Quick Ratio

Gainseekers Quantitative Analysis

Summary

This is a statistically cheap stock wrapped around a balance sheet that demands caution. A Forward P/E of 15.5 in Healthcare would normally imply reasonable growth expectations, but the PEG of 2.3 says you are not getting that growth cheaply. The Altman Z-Score of 1.1 puts the company firmly in financial distress territory, while EPS of -6.6 and an Operating Margin of -56.60% confirm that current profitability is deeply impaired. At 0.7x sales and 1.2x book, the market is clearly discounting risk, but with negative ROIC of -20.40% and collapsing earnings expectations, this is not a clean mispricing — it is a distressed asset priced for survival, not growth.

AI Exposure / Tech Reliance

As a Medical Care Facilities operator, ACHC sits in a segment where AI integration is incremental rather than transformational. Operational efficiencies, patient management systems, and data-driven care optimization could gradually improve margins, but the current -56.60% Operating Margin shows that technology leverage is not yet evident. This industry tends to adopt technology defensively to control cost structures rather than to create explosive growth.

The Bull Case

A deep value investor could argue that the pessimism is overdone. The Piotroski F-Score of 6 suggests the company retains some underlying financial stability signals despite earnings weakness, and a Current Ratio of 1.6 indicates short-term liquidity is not immediately strained. Price/Sales of 0.7 and Price/Book of 1.2 imply that assets and revenue streams are being discounted heavily relative to peers in Healthcare, while a Forward P/E of 15.5 suggests normalized earnings power may be stronger than current EPS of -6.6 implies. With Return on Equity at 5.80%, there is at least a base level of capital productivity, and institutional ownership at $23.00 indicates some professional capital is willing to stay involved despite volatility.

The Bear Case

The bear case is far more straightforward and far more alarming. Debt/Equity of 11.70% paired with an Altman Z-Score of 1.1 screams balance sheet fragility, and negative ROIC of -20.40% means capital is being destroyed, not compounded. EPS Next Year estimated at -$12.16 signals that losses are expected to widen materially, while a PEG of 2.3 implies that even if growth returns, you are paying a premium relative to that growth rate. Operating Margin at -56.60% is catastrophic for a healthcare facility operator, and the absence of a P/E due to negative earnings reinforces that this is a turnaround speculation, not a stable compounder.

Market Sentiment & Smart Money

Short Interest %

42.10%

Analyst Consensus

2.27

Average Analyst Price Target

$23.00

Institutional Ownership %

133.50%

1-Year Beta

0.9

Insider Buying % (6 Mo)

1.30%%

Distance to 52-Week High

91.10%%

Distance to 52-Week Low

227.00%%