NATIONAL HEALTHCARE CORP vs Sotera Health Co, two Medical Care stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
NHC earns 11.3% on equity with zero debt; Sotera earns 18.9% with 3.46 turns, and deflating the leverage flips it: returns on assets run 8.1% against 3.6%, the skilled-nursing operator quietly out-earning the sterilization monopolist per dollar of what it owns. The market prices the moat far above the modesty, 42.4 times earnings against 25.5, seventeen turns for Sotera's 52.5% gross margin niche against NHC's unglamorous beds. Cash favors the beds, a 5.3% free-cash yield and 1.3% dividend against 1.9% and none. One company owes its lenders most of its story; the other owes nobody anything, including, apparently, a premium.
Comparison updated 2026-07-10.
| Metric | NHC | SHC |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $200.71 | $17.38 |
| Market cap | $3.2B | $5.0B |
| Sector | Medical Care | Medical Care |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +13.2% | +15.4% |
| P/E | 25.5 | 42.4 |
| P/B | 2.89 | 8.03 |
| P/S | 2.07 | 4.20 |
| EV/EBITDA | 17.6 | 271.2 |
| Revenue growth | +11.0% | +7.5% |
| Gross margin | — | 52.5% |
| Operating margin | 8.4% | — |
| Net margin | 8.1% | 9.9% |
| Return on equity | 11.3% | 18.9% |
| Return on assets | 8.1% | 3.6% |
| Return on invested capital | 9.5% | — |
| FCF yield | 5.3% | 1.9% |
| Dividend yield | 1.3% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 3.46 |
| Current ratio | 1.86 | 2.82 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 6.47 | 1.44 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 4 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.