Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. ACHC benefits from growing patient volumes, bed additions to existing facilities, joint ventures (JVs) and sound cash reserves.

Zacks Rank & Price Performance

Acadia Healthcare currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

The stock has gained 10.6% in the past month against the industry’s 6.7% decline. The Zacks Medical sector and the S&P 500 composite have decreased 6.3% and 0.8%, respectively, in the same time frame.

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ACHC’s Robust Growth Prospects

The consensus mark for 2025 earnings is pegged at $3.59 per share, indicating 5.5% growth from the 2024 estimate. The consensus estimate for revenues is pegged at $3.5 billion, which indicates a rise of 9% from the 2024 estimate.

Impressive Earnings Surprise History for ACHC

ACHC’s bottom line surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 3.94%.

Business Tailwinds for ACHC

Acadia Healthcare’s U.S. operations benefit from robust patient volumes and enhanced operational efficiencies, which are key drivers of its revenue growth. The persistent prevalence of mental health challenges in the United States is expected to sustain demand for behavioral healthcare services, supporting the company's revenue trajectory.

The company is pursuing a well-structured growth strategy encompassing the acquisition of healthcare facilities, bed additions at existing locations, and JVs with leading U.S. health systems. During the nine months ended Sept. 30, 2024, Acadia Healthcare added 67 beds to existing facilities and 208 beds through the launch of four fully owned facilities.

In October 2024, ACHC acquired three opioid treatment program clinics in South Carolina to cater to the underserved market demand of people suffering from opioid use disorder.

Joint ventures are a significant component of Acadia Healthcare’s growth framework, enabling the establishment of new facilities and broadening its presence nationwide. 

As of Sept. 30, 2024, Acadia Healthcare managed 260 behavioral healthcare facilities across 38 states and Puerto Rico. The company maintains adequate cash reserves to address short-term debt obligations and support business investments. Additionally, it had $321.5 million available under its $600 million revolving credit facility as of the same date.

Risks

Despite the upside potential, there are a few factors that investors should keep an eye on.

Acadia Healthcare continues to witness a high expense level as a result of higher salaries, wages and benefits, professional fees and other operating costs. Higher expenses can put pressure on the company’s margins in the days ahead. 

The company’s balance sheet contains significant long-term debt, which creates financial risk. As of June 30, 2024, it held a long-term debt of $1.8 billion. Elevated debt levels induce an increase in interest expenses, which escalated 40% year over year in the first nine months of 2024.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks in the Medical space include Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. AMRX, Boston Scientific Corporation BSX and Merit Medical Systems, Inc. MMSI. While Amneal Pharmaceuticals currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Boston Scientific and Merit Medical Systems carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Amneal Pharmaceuticals’ earnings surpassed estimates in each of the last four quarters, the average surprise being 48.23%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMRX’s 2025 earnings indicates a rise of 14.8%, while the same for revenues indicates an improvement of 4.5% from the respective 2024 estimate. The consensus mark for AMRX’s earnings has moved 6.1% north in the past 60 days. 

The bottom line of Boston Scientific beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 8.29%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BSX’s 2025 earnings indicates a rise of 12.7%, while the same for revenues indicates an improvement of 12.9% from the respective 2024 estimate. The consensus mark for BSX’s earnings has moved 2.2% north in the past 30 days.

Merit Medical Systems’ earnings outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 6.42%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MMSI’s 2025 earnings indicates a rise of 10.9%, while the estimate for revenues indicates an improvement of 8.6% from the respective 2024 estimate. The consensus mark for MMSI’s earnings has moved 0.3% north in the past 30 days. 

Boston Scientific stock has gained 8.8% in the past month. However, shares of Amneal Pharmaceuticals and Merit Medical Systems have declined 1.3% and 5.9%, respectively, in the same time frame. 

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