Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ:ACHC) Issues FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ:ACHC) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 1.300-1.550 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 1.750. The company issued revenue guidance of $3.4 billion-$3.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $3.4 billion. Acadia Healthcare also updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.250-0.300 EPS.

Acadia Healthcare Trading Up 3.8%

Shares of Acadia Healthcare stock traded up $0.84 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $23.13. The stock had a trading volume of 980,048 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,947,443. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $14.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.54. The firm has a market cap of $2.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -1.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.04 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.27. Acadia Healthcare has a 12-month low of $11.43 and a 12-month high of $33.58.

Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ:ACHC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.03 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $821.46 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $800.10 million. Acadia Healthcare had a negative net margin of 33.29% and a positive return on equity of 6.53%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.64 EPS. Acadia Healthcare has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.300-1.550 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.250-0.300 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Acadia Healthcare will post 3.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on ACHC shares. Cantor Fitzgerald set a $17.00 price target on Acadia Healthcare in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Leerink Partners boosted their price objective on shares of Acadia Healthcare from $14.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a report on Thursday. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Acadia Healthcare from $24.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of Acadia Healthcare from $33.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 3rd. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Acadia Healthcare from $17.00 to $14.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Acadia Healthcare currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $20.69.

Key Stories Impacting Acadia Healthcare

Here are the key news stories impacting Acadia Healthcare this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue and volume beat; company issued upbeat Q1 and FY‑2026 guidance that exceeded Street estimates — this is the primary catalyst for the rally. Acadia Healthcare’s (NASDAQ:ACHC) Q4 CY2025 Sales Top Estimates, Stock Jumps 10.8%
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts lifted targets and ratings after the print (UBS to $27 buy, TD Cowen to $24 buy, RBC to $28 outperform), adding buy-side momentum. Acadia Healthcare Co Stock: A Deep Dive Into Analyst Perspectives (17 Ratings)
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction: shares initially gapped/surged (reports of a ~23% intraday jump) as investors rewarded the revenue beat, capacity growth and stronger guidance. Acadia Healthcare Shares Surge 23% Following Q4 Revenue Beat, Capacity Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term thesis: commentary and analysis highlight new management and potential operational turnaround, but execution risk remains. Acadia Healthcare: New Management Deserves A Shot At Turning Business Around
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and detailed filings are available for investors wanting line‑by‑line color on volumes, payer mix and margin drivers. Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. (ACHC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Profit weakness — EPS was $0.07 (beat a weak consensus of $0.03) but plunged ~89% y/y from $0.64, reflecting cost, non‑recurring items or impairments; that pressure tempers enthusiasm despite revenue growth. Acadia Healthcare Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates on Rising Admissions
• Negative Sentiment: Very high short interest (reported ~32.45M shares, ~35.9% of float, ~7.3 days to cover as of mid‑February) increases downside risk and intraday volatility; contradictory short‑interest reports add uncertainty to positioning.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Acadia Healthcare by 54.8% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 497 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its position in shares of Acadia Healthcare by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 43,913 shares of the company’s stock worth $623,000 after acquiring an additional 668 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Acadia Healthcare by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 74,907 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,063,000 after acquiring an additional 696 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its holdings in Acadia Healthcare by 2.8% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 31,335 shares of the company’s stock valued at $776,000 after purchasing an additional 867 shares during the period. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its holdings in Acadia Healthcare by 2.1% in the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 42,502 shares of the company’s stock valued at $964,000 after purchasing an additional 867 shares during the period.

About Acadia Healthcare

Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc (NASDAQ: ACHC) is a publicly traded provider of behavioral healthcare services headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee. Founded in 2005, the company has grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to establish itself as a leading specialist in mental health and addiction treatment across the United States.

Acadia operates a diversified network of inpatient psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, outpatient clinics and intensive outpatient programs.