National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) Stock

National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) is a Healthcare stock trading at $224.59 (as of 2026-08-25), with a market capitalization of $3.52B and a trailing P/E of 23.2. Figures are sourced from first-party U.S. SEC EDGAR filings and market data.

National HealthCare Corporation operates, manages, and provides services to skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, homecare and hospice agencies, and a behavioral health hospital. Its skilled nursing facilities offer licensed therapy services, nutrition services, social services, activities, and housekeeping and laundry services, as well as medical services prescribed by physicians; and rehabilitative services, such as physical, speech, respiratory, and occupational therapy for patients recovering from strokes, heart attacks, orthopedic conditions, neurological illnesses, or other illnesses, injuries, or disabilities. The company's medical specialty units comprise memory care units and sub-cute nursing units that provide specialized care and programs for persons with Alzheimer's or related disorders; and assisted living centers offer personal care services and assistance with general activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, meal preparation, and medication management. It also offers behavioral health services to both adults and geriatric patients with psychiatric, emotional, and addictive disorders. In addition, it provides health care programs that offer skilled services, such as infusion, wound care and physical, occupational, and speech therapies; hospice care services; operates pharmacies; offers management, accounting, financial, and insurance services; and leases its properties to third party operators. As of February 18, 2022, the company operated 75 skilled nursing facilities with 9,473 beds, 24 assisted living facilities, five independent living facilities, one behavioral health hospital, 34 homecare agencies, and 28 hospice agencies. National HealthCare Corporation was founded in 1971 and is based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Understand National HealthCare Corporation: how it makes money

NHC operates skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, homecare, and hospice facilities, earning revenue from Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay patient days. It is a pure-play senior care operator where per diem reimbursement rates and occupancy drive earnings.

Revenue equals beds times occupancy times per diem rate, all three constrained by government reimbursement schedules rather than free market pricing.

Business quality (Mixed): Steady cash generation from essential senior care services, but structurally capped margins and heavy government-payor dependence limit long-term upside.

Valuation: At 24× earnings, NHC trades in line with the Healthcare Services average (25×).

Bull case

  • Growth in a Demographic Sure Thing: Quarterly revenue of $400M grew 9% year over year, reflecting structural demand from an aging population that requires skilled nursing and assisted living services regardless of economic conditions.
  • Trades Below the Industry Multiple: The 23.6x P/E sits 7% below the 25x Healthcare Services industry average, implying the market prices in cautious reimbursement assumptions that sustained 9% growth could invalidate over time.

Bear case

  • Twelve Percent Margin Caps Upside: An operating margin of 12% reflects a labor-intensive model where wage growth and staffing shortages can compress profitability faster than payer rates adjust, making meaningful margin expansion difficult even in a growing market.
  • No Diversified Cushion to Policy Shocks: With Other Revenues at just $10M or 2% of total, the company has no material secondary business line to offset a revenue decline if Medicaid or Medicare reimbursement is cut in the core patient-care operations.
Valuation — source: SEC EDGAR (first-party)
Price$224.59
Market Cap$3.52B
P/E Ratio23.2
EV / EBITDA18.3
Price / Book3.12
Price / Sales2.26
FCF Yield9.4%
DCF Value (model)$90.88
DCF Upside vs Price-59.5%
Profitability & Growth — source: SEC EDGAR
Revenue (TTM)$1.52B
Net Margin7.9%
Revenue Growth (YoY)16.1%
EPS Growth (YoY)17.2%
FCF Growth (YoY)86.5%
Financial Health — source: SEC EDGAR
Altman Z-Score6.83 (safe)
Valuation vs Sector & Industry
Stock P/E23.2
Sector P/E (Healthcare)21.9
Industry P/E (Healthcare Services)25.4
vs Sector5.8%
vs Industry-8.6%
Smart-Money Activity — SEC Form 4 / 13F / Congressional disclosures
Top Institutional HolderBlackRock, Inc. ($302.67M)
Institutional Holders Tracked10
Company
SectorHealthcare
IndustryHealthcare Services
CEOStephen Fowler Flatt
Employees14,962
CountryUS
IPO Date1987-01-02

Related Companies (Healthcare Services; 8 comparable companies)

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  • Addus HomeCare Corporation (ADUS)
  • Progyny, Inc. (PGNY)
  • Healthcare Services Group, Inc. (HCSG)
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NHC earnings history · NHC institutional & insider holders · NHC KPIs & operating metrics · NHC financials · NHC investor presentations & press releases · NHC SEC filings · NHC peers · Congress trades · Insider trades · Short interest · Stock screener

Data as of 2026-08-25.

Figures sourced from U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC EDGAR) filings and market data. Not personalized investment advice.