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EHC vs UHS
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Encompass Health (EHC) vs. Universal Health Services (UHS) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- EHC, focused on inpatient rehabilitation, shows year-to-date gains of about 3.8%, contrasting with UHS's year-to-date decline amid broader hospital pressures.
- Both stocks operate in healthcare services but differ in focus: EHC on rehabilitation hospitals, UHS on acute care and behavioral health facilities.
- Recent quarterly results indicate revenue growth for both, with EHC posting strong EBITDA expansion in its latest report.
- EHC trades at a P/E ratio (price-to-earnings ratio) of around 18, higher than UHS's approximately 8, reflecting differing growth expectations.
- Market caps are similar at roughly $10 billion each, positioning them as mid-cap players in healthcare.
- Tickeron’s AI analysis leans toward EHC for its relative stability in recent market activity.
Introduction
In the competitive healthcare services sector, EHC and UHS represent distinct approaches to patient care delivery. EHC specializes in inpatient rehabilitation, while UHS manages a network of acute care and behavioral health hospitals. This stock comparison is relevant for investors seeking exposure to healthcare providers amid evolving reimbursement policies and demographic shifts. Traders monitoring relative performance may find insights into momentum, valuation, and sector risks valuable for position sizing in portfolios.
EHC Overview and Recent Performance
Encompass Health Corporation (EHC) is the largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in the United States, serving patients recovering from serious injuries or illnesses. In recent market activity, EHC shares have traded around $102, within a 52-week range of $93 to $128. Year-to-date performance stands at approximately 3.8%, supported by strong fourth-quarter 2025 results where net operating revenue rose nearly 10% to $1.54 billion and EBITDA increased 14.9%. Sentiment has been influenced by positive discharge growth and operational efficiencies, though recent weeks saw some pullback amid broader healthcare sector volatility and anticipation of first-quarter 2026 earnings.
UHS Overview and Recent Performance
Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) operates general acute care hospitals and behavioral health facilities across the U.S. and U.K. Shares recently hovered near $175-$181, with a 52-week range from $152 to $246. Year-to-date, the stock has faced headwinds, declining around 17% amid industry challenges. Fourth-quarter 2025 revenue grew 9.1% to $4.49 billion, though it missed some expectations; net income attributable to UHS reached $446 million. Recent sentiment reflects caution due to rising costs, facility-specific issues, and upcoming first-quarter 2026 earnings on April 27, offset by steady patient volumes in acute care segments.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
EHC and UHS both benefit from aging demographics driving healthcare demand but diverge in business models: EHC’s specialized rehab focus offers niche stability, while UHS’s diversified acute and behavioral health exposure captures broader volumes yet heightens regulatory risks. Growth drivers include patient admissions for both, with EHC emphasizing EBITDA margins and UHS leveraging scale. Recent momentum favors EHC’s positive YTD returns versus UHS’s declines, though UHS shows lower P/E valuation. Risk factors like labor costs and reimbursement changes impact both, with UHS more exposed to acute care cyclicality. Market sentiment tilts toward EHC for consistency amid sector headwinds.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI models currently favor EHC over UHS, citing superior year-to-date trend consistency, stable rehab sector positioning, and robust recent EBITDA growth. While UHS offers attractive valuation and diversification, its higher volatility and recent drawdowns reduce short-term appeal. This probabilistic edge for EHC aligns with observable momentum in healthcare subsectors.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full Disclaimers and Limitations.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is EHC is a Hold and UHS is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
EHC’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileUHS’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- EHC’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- UHS’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
EHC’s TA Score shows that 3 TA indicator(s) are bullish while UHS’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- EHC’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 6 bearish.
- UHS’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 3 bearish.
Price Growth
EHC (@Hospital/Nursing Management) experienced а -0.68% price change this week, while UHS (@Hospital/Nursing Management) price change was -2.28% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Hospital/Nursing Management industry was -0.10%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +4.78%, and the average quarterly price growth was +27.33%.
Reported Earning Dates
EHC is expected to report earnings on Aug 04, 2026.
UHS is expected to report earnings on Jul 27, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Hospital/Nursing Management (-0.10% weekly)Hospital/Nursing Management companies own and operate health care facilities. Their operations include nursing homes, acute care facilities, retirement centers and outpatient surgery centers. HCA Healthcare Inc., Alcon Inc. and Universal Health Services, Inc. are some major companies in this industry. Technology has been at the forefront of development of advanced solutions, including quicker diagnoses of complex conditions. Investments in new diagnostics, healthcare IoT, and other healthcare technologies continue to gather momentum in this industry.
| EHC | UHS | EHC / UHS | |
| Capitalization | 9.91B | 8.83B | 112% |
| EBITDA | 1.46B | 2.8B | 52% |
| Gain YTD | -6.678 | -34.421 | 19% |
| P/E Ratio | 16.90 | 5.96 | 284% |
| Revenue | 6.07B | 17.8B | 34% |
| Total Cash | 110M | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 2.79B | 5.13B | 54% |
EHC | UHS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 78 | 2 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 11 Undervalued | 11 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 48 | 100 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 36 | 44 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 61 | 65 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 81 | 87 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 9 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
EHC's Valuation (11) in the Hospital Or Nursing Management industry is in the same range as UHS (11). This means that EHC’s stock grew similarly to UHS’s over the last 12 months.
EHC's Profit vs Risk Rating (48) in the Hospital Or Nursing Management industry is somewhat better than the same rating for UHS (100). This means that EHC’s stock grew somewhat faster than UHS’s over the last 12 months.
EHC's SMR Rating (36) in the Hospital Or Nursing Management industry is in the same range as UHS (44). This means that EHC’s stock grew similarly to UHS’s over the last 12 months.
EHC's Price Growth Rating (61) in the Hospital Or Nursing Management industry is in the same range as UHS (65). This means that EHC’s stock grew similarly to UHS’s over the last 12 months.
EHC's P/E Growth Rating (81) in the Hospital Or Nursing Management industry is in the same range as UHS (87). This means that EHC’s stock grew similarly to UHS’s over the last 12 months.
| EHC | UHS | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 62% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 59% | 2 days ago 62% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 47% | 2 days ago 70% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 55% | 2 days ago 62% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 59% | 2 days ago 70% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 66% | 2 days ago 73% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 59% | 12 days ago 70% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 9 days ago 59% | 6 days ago 69% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 59% | 2 days ago 65% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 60% | 2 days ago 69% |
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EHC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, EHC has been loosely correlated with ENSG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 41% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if EHC jumps, then ENSG could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To EHC | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EHC | 100% | +0.66% | ||
| ENSG - EHC | 41% Loosely correlated | +2.04% | ||
| UHS - EHC | 35% Loosely correlated | +1.04% | ||
| THC - EHC | 35% Loosely correlated | +3.58% | ||
| PNTG - EHC | 32% Poorly correlated | +0.36% | ||
| NHC - EHC | 32% Poorly correlated | -0.06% | ||
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UHS and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, UHS has been loosely correlated with HCA. These tickers have moved in lockstep 62% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if UHS jumps, then HCA could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To UHS | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UHS | 100% | +1.04% | ||
| HCA - UHS | 62% Loosely correlated | +0.49% | ||
| THC - UHS | 56% Loosely correlated | +3.58% | ||
| PNTG - UHS | 40% Loosely correlated | +0.36% | ||
| ENSG - UHS | 39% Loosely correlated | +2.04% | ||
| CON - UHS | 35% Loosely correlated | -0.25% | ||
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