Acadia Healthcare (NASDAQ: ACHC) has updated its earnings guidance for the first quarter of 2026, suggesting a promising financial outlook. The company anticipates earnings per share (EPS) in the range of $0.250 to $0.300, significantly above the consensus estimate of $0.110. Furthermore, Acadia has projected its revenue for the quarter to be between $820.0 million and $830.0 million, surpassing the consensus revenue estimate of $799.5 million.
In addition to its quarterly guidance, Acadia Healthcare has revised its full-year 2026 EPS guidance to a range of $1.300 to $1.550. This update reflects the company’s ongoing expansion and strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing its service offerings in behavioral healthcare.
Analysts Adjust Price Targets for Acadia Healthcare
Following the earnings guidance update, several research firms have re-evaluated their price targets for Acadia Healthcare. Barclays reduced its target price from $17.00 to $14.00 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating. Mizuho also lowered its price objective from $22.00 to $17.00, issuing a “neutral” rating in its latest report.
Conversely, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating with a target price set at $25.00. Meanwhile, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d)” rating for the company’s shares. Current consensus shows seven analysts rating the stock as a Buy, six as Hold, and two as Sell. According to MarketBeat, Acadia Healthcare holds an average rating of “Hold” with a target price of $20.69.
Recent Financial Performance and Institutional Trading
In its most recent earnings report, released on February 25, 2025, Acadia Healthcare reported earnings of $0.07 per share, exceeding analysts’ expectations of $0.03. The company’s revenue for that quarter totaled $821.46 million, compared to the consensus estimate of $800.10 million. This reflects a year-over-year revenue increase of 6.1%.
Institutional investors have been active in adjusting their holdings of Acadia Healthcare. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake by 24.9% in the fourth quarter, now owning 11,774,308 shares valued at approximately $167.1 million. Similarly, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its ownership by an impressive 417.8% during the same period, acquiring an additional 3,815,471 shares.
Other notable adjustments include UBS Group AG, which increased its position by 8.8%, and State Street Corp, which boosted its stake by 3.3%. Geode Capital Management LLC also grew its holdings slightly by 0.5% in the fourth quarter.
Acadia Healthcare, which is headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, has established itself as a leading provider of behavioral healthcare services since its founding in 2005. The company operates a diverse network of inpatient psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment centers, outpatient clinics, and intensive outpatient programs across the United States.
As Acadia Healthcare prepares for Q1 2026, its promising guidance and active institutional trading underscore its position in the behavioral health sector, indicating a potentially robust financial future.
