Acadia Healthcare (ACHC)
NASDAQ:ACHC
Want to see ACHC full AI Analyst Report?
Top Page
Acadia Healthcare
(NASDAQ:ACHC)
Select Model
Select Model
Rating:57Neutral
Price Target:
$29.00
▲(7.41% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:04/30/26
The score is held back primarily by weakened financial quality (TTM net loss and negative free cash flow) despite strong revenue growth and a workable balance sheet. Technicals are supportive with clear upward trend and positive momentum, while valuation support is limited due to a negative P/E and no dividend. Earnings call guidance is positive (expected 2026 free cash flow and EBITDA growth), but meaningful legal/regulatory and cost headwinds keep the outlook mixed.
Positive Factors
Strong revenue growth and same-facility momentum
Acadia is generating durable top-line momentum driven by higher patient days and revenue per patient day across facilities. Consistent same-facility growth reflects persistent demand and operational improvements that support sustainable revenue expansion as new capacity ramps.
Negative Factors
Weak free cash flow and recent large net loss
Negative free cash flow amid heavy capex and ramping losses drains liquidity and raises reliance on revolver or capital markets. Persistently negative FCF and recent net losses constrain deleveraging and strategic optionality until operations convert to sustained positive cash generation.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Strong revenue growth and same-facility momentum
Acadia is generating durable top-line momentum driven by higher patient days and revenue per patient day across facilities. Consistent same-facility growth reflects persistent demand and operational improvements that support sustainable revenue expansion as new capacity ramps.
Read all positive factors
Acadia Healthcare (ACHC) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$2.59B
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)2.82M
Price to Earnings (P/E)―
Beta (1Y)0.73
Revenue Growth5.04%
EPS Growth-536.93%
CountryUS
Employees25,500
SectorHealthcare
Sector Strength45
IndustryMedical - Care Facilities
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.37
Shares Outstanding92,034,220
10 Day Avg. Volume2,793,057
30 Day Avg. Volume2,819,306
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio<0.01
Price to Book (P/B)0.66
Price to Sales (P/S)0.39
P/FCF Ratio-2.93
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.98
Enterprise Value/Revenue1.55
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit2.55
Enterprise Value/Ebitda-6.95
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$23.85Price Target Upside-11.67% Downside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering10
EPS Forecast (FY)1.51
Revenue Forecast (FY)$3.41B
Acadia Healthcare Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. provides behavioral healthcare services in the United States and Puerto Rico. The company offers behavioral healthcare services to its patients in various settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, special...
How the Company Makes Money
Acadia Healthcare primarily makes money by providing behavioral healthcare treatment services and collecting reimbursement for patient care delivered at its facilities and programs. Its core revenue stream is patient service revenue generated when...
Acadia Healthcare Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Date:Feb 25, 2026
(Q4-2025)
| % Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Aug 11, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
The call presented a mix of clear operational and financial progress—revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth, strong bed additions, a sizable embedded EBITDA opportunity (> $200M), reduced CapEx and a move toward positive free cash flow—balanced against material challenges including a large PLGL reserve/expense, a $25M–$30M NY Medicaid policy headwind, start-up losses and ongoing legal/regulatory uncertainty. Management emphasized disciplined capital allocation, operational execution and quality/leadership changes to unlock embedded value.Positive Updates
Revenue Growth and Beat
Q4 revenue of $821.5M, up 6.1% year-over-year; FY2025 revenue of $3.31B, up 5% and slightly above the high end of guidance (reflecting improved volume).
Negative Updates
Professional & General Liability (PLGL) Reserve and Expense
Q4 included a $52.7M adjustment to the PLGL reserve. PLGL expense expected to be $100M–$110M for 2026, a material ongoing headwind to profitability and cash flow.
Read all updates
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive
Negative
Revenue Growth and Beat
Q4 revenue of $821.5M, up 6.1% year-over-year; FY2025 revenue of $3.31B, up 5% and slightly above the high end of guidance (reflecting improved volume).
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Acadia's 2026 guidance targets full‑year revenue of $3.37–3.45 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $575–610 million, and adjusted EPS of $1.30–1.55 while expecting positive free cash flow; assumptions include full‑year same‑facility volume growth of 0–1% (with ~630 beds being added to the same‑store bucket in Q1), same‑facility revenue per patient day up 2–3% (guidance reflects a ~350‑bp headwind from the New York Medicaid change with an estimated $25–30 million annual EBITDA impact), start‑up losses of $47–53 million (≈60% weighted to H1), PLGL expense of $100–110 million, CapEx of $255–280 million, and at least a $22 million EBITDA benefit if certain pending programs are approved; Q1 2026 outlook is revenue of $820–830 million and adjusted EBITDA of $130–137 million, which assumes ~ $14 million of start‑up losses, $11 million of out‑of‑period supplemental payments recognized in Q1, and a ~$3.7 million severe‑weather impact.Acadia Healthcare Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
48
Neutral
Balance Sheet
62
Positive
Cash Flow
39
Negative
| Breakdown | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 3.31B | 3.15B | 2.93B | 2.61B | 2.31B |
| Gross Profit | 583.44M | 711.98M | 682.61M | 2.51B | 2.22B |
| EBITDA | -737.83M | 607.84M | 189.11M | 561.67M | 459.47M |
| Net Income | -1.10B | 255.61M | -21.67M | 273.14M | 190.63M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 5.53B | 5.96B | 5.36B | 4.99B | 4.77B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 133.24M | 76.31M | 100.07M | 97.65M | 133.81M |
| Total Debt | 2.65B | 2.09B | 1.51B | 1.53B | 1.64B |
| Total Liabilities | 3.39B | 2.77B | 2.47B | 2.09B | 2.19B |
| Stockholders Equity | 1.95B | 3.07B | 2.78B | 2.81B | 2.52B |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | -439.91M | -560.69M | 38.21M | 84.42M | 129.67M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 131.90M | 129.69M | 462.34M | 380.57M | 374.48M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -547.58M | -736.48M | -397.22M | -305.83M | 1.02B |
| Financing Cash Flow | 472.61M | 583.02M | -62.70M | -110.90M | -1.64B |
Acadia Healthcare Technical Analysis
Positive
27.00
Price Trends
22.04
Positive
18.18
Positive
20.15
Positive
Market Momentum
1.36
Negative
67.72
Neutral
73.41
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For ACHC, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 27 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 24.84, above the 50-day MA of 22.04, and above the 200-day MA of 20.15, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.36 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 67.72 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 73.41 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for ACHC.
Acadia Healthcare Risk Analysis
Acadia Healthcare disclosed 55 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Acadia Healthcare reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Acadia Healthcare Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (51)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
78 Outperform | $2.75B | 17.67 | 11.57% | 1.80% | 17.53% | 17.13% | |
65 Neutral | $2.04B | 12.54 | 8.62% | 1.69% | -17.66% | -30.16% | |
59 Neutral | $2.82B | 281.23 | 0.65% | ― | 13.85% | ― | |
57 Neutral | $2.59B | -1.17 | -39.42% | ― | 5.04% | -536.93% | |
56 Neutral | $1.88B | -25.23 | -4.50% | ― | 6.24% | 53.98% | |
53 Neutral | $3.32B | -9.62 | -523.78% | ― | 2.19% | -26.04% | |
51 Neutral | $7.86B | -0.30 | -43.30% | 2.27% | 22.53% | -2.21% |
* Healthcare Sector Average
ACHC
Acadia Healthcare
28.26
4.86
20.77%
BKD
Brookdale Senior Living
14.09
7.53
114.79%
NHC
National Healthcare
175.07
82.43
88.98%
SEM
Select Medical
16.49
-1.42
-7.94%
SGRY
Surgery Partners
13.87
-8.08
-36.81%
LFST
Lifestance Health Group
7.43
0.86
13.09%
Acadia Healthcare Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Acadia Healthcare Posts Q1 2026 Revenue Growth, Raises Outlook
Positive
Apr 29, 2026
Acadia Healthcare reported first-quarter 2026 results on April 29, 2026, posting revenue of $828.8 million, up 7.6% year over year, with same-facility revenue rising 7.3% on higher patient days and revenue per patient day. Growth was led by a 14% ...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesFinancial Disclosures
Acadia Healthcare Announces CFO Transition and Reaffirms Outlook
Neutral
Apr 23, 2026
On April 23, 2026, Acadia Healthcare announced that Chief Financial Officer Todd Young will resign effective April 30, 2026, to take a CFO role at a private equity-backed animal health company. The board appointed former long-time CFO David M. Duc...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Acadia Healthcare Refreshes Board With Finance Veteran Appointment
Positive
Mar 12, 2026
On March 12, 2026, Acadia Healthcare announced the appointment of veteran healthcare finance executive Daniel Cancelmi to its board of directors, effective immediately, following a search led by the board’s nominating committee and an execut...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.