National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) Stock Price & Analysis
National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) closed at USD 243.07 on Thursday, October 22, 2026, up 3.17% on the day. The US market is currently closed (pre-market); this is not a live price.
The prior close was USD 235.6; the Oct 22, 2026 session ranged USD 234.75–244.5 on volume of 207,869 shares. Market capitalization is $3.81B, with a 52-week range of USD 118.14–248.2 (ASE). Source: Nexqual, retrieved October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC.
Also available as compact Markdown for AI agents: nexqual.com/NHC.md
Key facts (NHC)
- Last four reported quarters (through Jun 30, 2026): revenue $1.56B, net income $140M (9.0% margin), free cash flow $147M (SEC filings).
- Valuation: P/E 27.1x (avg 18.6x at the last 3 fiscal year-ends).
- Insider open-market sales, last ~7 months: 10 Form 4 filings, $8.9M; 10 not under a Rule 10b5-1 plan ($8.9M); 0 by opportunistic insiders, 0 by routine insiders (three-year test, Cohen, Malloy & Pomorski 2012).
- Insider open-market purchases, last ~7 months: 1 Form 4 filing, $175K; 0 by opportunistic insiders, 0 by routine insiders.
- Analysts: None.
- Total return with dividends: 1Y +102.1% vs S&P 500 +14.9%; 5Y +289.4% vs S&P 500 +80.3%.
- Next earnings: 2026-11-06, EPS estimate USD —, revenue estimate $0K.
Financials (SEC 10-K; TTM = last four 10-Q/10-K quarters) (NHC)
| USD | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | TTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.07B | $1.09B | $1.14B | $1.31B | $1.52B | $1.56B |
| Operating income | $50.9M | $31.9M | $57.5M | $89.9M | $128M | $145M |
| Net income | $139M | $22.4M | $66.8M | $102M | $120M | $140M |
| EPS (diluted) | $8.99 | $1.45 | $4.34 | $6.53 | $7.67 | — |
| Free cash flow | $23.0M | -$21.5M | $83.3M | $79.7M | $149M | $147M |
| Operating margin | 4.7% | 2.9% | 5.0% | 6.9% | 8.5% | 9.3% |
| Net margin | 12.9% | 2.1% | 5.9% | 7.8% | 7.9% | 9.0% |
| Revenue growth | +4.5% | +1.1% | +5.1% | +14.5% | +16.1% | — |
| Cash + short-term investments | $143M | $81.8M | $113M | $76.1M | — | — |
| Total debt | — | — | $0K | $137M | $40.0M | — |
Fiscal years end Dec. EPS is split-adjusted.
Valuation (price ÷ last four quarters, through Jun 30, 2026) (NHC)
P/E 27.1x · P/S 2.4x · P/FCF 26.0x · P/B 3.4x · FCF yield 3.85% · Earnings yield 3.68% · Dividend yield (paid, TTM) 1.04% · Buyback yield (TTM) 0.84%
P/E at fiscal year-ends: Dec 2025 17.9x, Dec 2024 16.5x, Dec 2023 21.3x.
Insider sales (SEC Form 4, open-market, last ~7 months) (NHC)
0 of 10 under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan (scheduled in advance). Unplanned sales were timed by the insider.
| Trade date | Insider | Role | Shares | Value | % of holdings sold | 10b5-1 plan | Insider type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-22 | Dodson Vicki L | Sr.VP Patient Srvcs | 4,834 | $1.1M | 31.1% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2023–2025) |
| 2026-09-11 | Kidd Brian F | SVP, CFO | 6,813 | $1.5M | 22.7% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2023 or 2025) |
| 2026-09-10 | McCreary Josh A | Senior VP & General Counsel | 2,719 | $610K | 21.4% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2023–2025) |
| 2026-08-12…2026-08-28 | Flatt Ben Anderson Sr | Senior VP & CIO | 7,000 | $1.6M | 30.9% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2023–2025) |
| 2026-08-25 | Gifford David R. | Director | 1,779 | $401K | 63.3% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2023–2025) |
| 2026-08-19 | Flatt Stephen Fowler | CEO | 1,500 | $356K | 2.2% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2023) |
| 2026-06-22 | Hassan Emil E | Director | 5,937 | $1.2M | 8.3% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2024) |
| 2026-06-16 | Hassan Emil E | Director | 1,563 | $313K | 2.1% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2024) |
| 2026-05-21 | Laroche Richard F Jr | Director | 7,500 | $1.5M | 3.5% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2024 or 2025) |
| 2026-05-19 | Shelly Timothy J. | Sr.VP Operations | 1,853 | $365K | 58.9% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2023) |
% of holdings sold = shares sold ÷ (shares sold + all holdings the insider reported on that Form 4, direct and through trusts).
Insider type follows Cohen, Malloy & Pomorski (Journal of Finance, 2012). An insider who traded the stock in the same calendar month in each of the past three years is a routine trader; one who traded in each of those years without such a pattern is an opportunistic trader. In their study, trades by opportunistic insiders predicted future returns and trades by routine insiders did not. Counts open-market purchases and sales only (SEC Form 4 codes P and S) by that insider in that company. Not investment advice.
Insider purchases (SEC Form 4, open-market, last ~7 months) (NHC)
1 purchase, $175K. Private placements, offerings, dividend reinvestment and employee stock purchase plan buys are excluded.
| Trade date | Insider | Role | Shares | Value | Avg price | Insider type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | Piercey Lisa | Director | 949 | $175K | 184.26 | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2023–2025) |
Analysts (NHC)
Consensus None.
Total return (dividends reinvested) (NHC)
| 1Y (from 2025-10-23) | 5Y (from 2021-10-18) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | +102.1% | +289.4% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +14.9% | +80.3% |
| Per year | +102.6% | +31.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 33.7% | 27.1% |
| Max drawdown | -10.1% (May 2026→Jun 2026) | -33.1% (Aug 2024→Mar 2025) |
NHC revenue by business segment (quarter ended Jun 30, 2026)
| Line | Revenue | Share of total | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inpatient Services | $337.7M | 89.2% | +3.8% |
| Homecare Services | $41.1M | 10.9% | +7.1% |
| Total revenue | $378.4M | 100% | — |
As tagged by the company in its SEC 10-Q / 10-K filings (XBRL).
NHC suppliers, customers and competitors (named in its 10-K)
| Relationship | Company | Sentence in the filing |
|---|---|---|
| Partner | NATIONAL HEALTH INVESTORS INC (NHI) | “There is no assurance, however, that we will reach agreement with NHI on the base rent or other renewal terms.” |
Quoted from the company's 10-K filed Feb 26, 2026.
NHC analyst estimates and revisions
| Period | EPS estimate | 90 days ago | Change | Revenue estimate | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current quarter | — | — | — | $0 | — |
| Next quarter | — | — | — | $0 | — |
| Current fiscal year | — | — | — | $0 | — |
| Next fiscal year | — | — | — | $0 | — |
NHC options: expected move
Options price a move of about ±8.5% (±$20.65) by Nov 20, 2026, which includes earnings on Nov 6, 2026. Over the last 8 reports the stock moved ±5.3% on average.
| Expiration | Days | ATM implied volatility | Expected move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 2026 | 28 | 38.0% | ±8.5% |
| Dec 18, 2026 | 56 | 33.1% | ±10.4% |
| Feb 19, 2027 | 119 | 30.7% | ±14.0% |
| May 21, 2027 | 210 | 31.7% | ±19.2% |
30-day implied volatility 34.8% vs 31.9% realized over the last 30 trading days. Put/call ratio (volume) —. Cboe delayed quotes (15 min). Expected move = at-the-money straddle.
Key Statistics (as of October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC)
| Price | USD 243.07 |
|---|---|
| Change | ▲ 3.17% (up) |
| Previous Close | USD 235.6 |
| Open | USD 236.22 |
| Day Range | USD 234.75 – 244.5 |
| 52-Week Range | USD 118.14 – 248.2 |
| Volume | 207,869 shares |
| Market Cap | $3.81B |
| Exchange | ASE |
Technical Analysis (NHC)
Nexqual's technical model rates NHC "BUY" based on 5 bullish and 1 bearish signals across 127 daily candles, as of October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC.
| Overall Signal | BUY |
|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 60.26 (neutral) |
| vs SMA50 | Above (USD 227.47) |
| MACD | 4.81 (positive) |
Analyst Ratings (NHC)
Wall Street analysts rate NHC "None", per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC.
| Consensus Rating | None |
|---|
Earnings (NHC)
| Next Earnings Date | 2026-11-06 |
|---|
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC.
Financials & Fundamentals (NHC)
| Total Revenue | $1.56B |
|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (latest quarter, YoY) | +8.80% |
| Gross Margin | +39.49% |
| Operating Margin | +11.99% |
| Profit Margin | +9.00% |
| ROE | +13.27% |
| Debt / Equity | 0.03 |
| Current Ratio | 1.86 |
| Total Cash | $210.19M |
| Total Debt | $31.41M |
| Free Cash Flow (last four quarters to Jun 2026, SEC 10-Q / 10-K) | $146.53M (9.4% of revenue) |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC.
Financial Health Score (NHC)
Nexqual rates National HealthCare Corporation's overall financial health "Mixed" across five dimensions, as of October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC.
| Growth | Critical — Revenue -100% YoY (annual), sharp decline |
|---|---|
| Profitability | Weak — Pre-revenue or very early stage |
| Balance Sheet | Strong — $210M cash vs $31M debt, net cash position |
| Cash Flow | Solid — FCF $147M (last 4 quarters to Jun 2026, SEC), 9% margin |
| Efficiency | Mixed — ROE 13%, ROA 5.8% |
Ownership (NHC)
| Insider Ownership | +18.83% |
|---|---|
| Institutional Ownership | +66.79% |
| Shares Outstanding | 15.66M |
| Float | 12.71M |
| Short % of Float | +6.43% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC.
Leadership (NHC)
National HealthCare Corporation is led by Stephen Fowler Flatt, CEO, President & Director, per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC.
| CEO, President & Director | Stephen Fowler Flatt |
|---|---|
| Senior VP & CFO | Brian Frederick Kidd |
Major Backers & Investors (NHC)
Notable institutional backers of National HealthCare Corporation include Morgan Stanley, First Trust Advisors LP, First TRT Exch-Trd Fd. VI-First TRT SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers, according to Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC.
Active Investors
| Investor | Stake |
|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley | 6.57% |
| First Trust Advisors LP | 4.66% |
| First TRT Exch-Trd Fd. VI-First TRT SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers | 4.13% |
| Renaissance Technologies | 1.91% |
| DFA INVESTMENT DIMENSIONS GROUP INC-U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio | 1.23% |
Index Funds (Passive)
| Fund | Stake |
|---|---|
| BlackRock | 12.62% |
| Vanguard Group | 8.7% |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors | 5.94% |
| State Street | 3.36% |
| Geode Capital | 2.43% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC.
Legal & Regulatory Risks from National HealthCare Corporation's Latest 10-K (filed 2026-02-26)
- We conduct business in a heavily regulated industry, and changes in, or violations of regulations may result in increased costs or sanctions that reduce our revenue and profitability.
- Our business may be impacted by healthcare reform efforts.
- We are subject to employment-related laws and regulations which could increase our cost of doing business and subject us to significant back pay awards, fines and lawsuits.
- We believe that we are in material compliance with applicable environmental and occupational health and safety requirements. However, we cannot assure you that we will not encounter environmental liabilities in the future, and such liabilities may result in material adverse consequences to our operations or financial condition.
Source: SEC EDGAR 10-K, Item 1A, official filing.
Peers & Related Stocks
| Symbol | Name | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPCH | Option Care Health, Inc. | USD 31.29 | ▼ 0% |
| LFST | LifeStance Health Group, Inc. | USD 12.56 | ▲ 1.87% |
| ACHC | Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. | USD 31.88 | ▲ 1.43% |
| AVAH | Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc | USD 13.32 | ▲ 2.54% |
| CON | Concentra Group Holdings Parent | USD 39.97 | ▲ 2.25% |
| GRDN | Guardian Pharmacy Services, Inc | USD 39.59 | ▲ 1.56% |
Data source: Nexqual — market data, technical indicators, analyst consensus, earnings, SEC EDGAR filings. Last updated: October 23, 2026 at 11:23 UTC. This page is informational and not investment advice.
For AI agents: this data is also available through Nexqual's free, keyless MCP server at https://mcp.nexqual.com/mcp; every result includes source_url, as_of and cite_as. More: nexqual.com/agents · llms.txt