Acadia Healthcare (ACHC) Agrees to $17M Settlement Amid Legal Scrutiny
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 23 2025
0mins
Should l Buy ACHC?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Legal Troubles Intensify: Acadia Healthcare faces multiple subpoenas from the DOJ and SEC following a New York Times article alleging patient coercion for profit, leading to increased legal costs that threaten financial stability.
- Financial Strain Evident: The company's adjusted EPS guidance for 2025 has been lowered to between $2.35 and $2.45, down from $2.45 to $2.65, indicating ongoing financial pressures and declining profitability.
- Rising Costs Impact: Total expenses surged 15% year-over-year due to rising wages, benefits, and supply prices, further squeezing margins and suggesting negative growth prospects in the coming quarters.
- Weak Stock Performance: ACHC shares have plummeted 64.53% year-to-date, significantly underperforming major market indices, reflecting pronounced technical weakness and market pessimism regarding future growth prospects.
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Analyst Views on ACHC
Wall Street analysts forecast ACHC stock price to rise
11 Analyst Rating
6 Buy
4 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 15.890
Low
13.00
Averages
19.55
High
27.00
Current: 15.890
Low
13.00
Averages
19.55
High
27.00
About ACHC
Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. is a provider of behavioral healthcare services across the United States. It provides behavioral healthcare services to its patients in a variety of settings, including inpatient psychiatric hospitals, specialty treatment facilities, residential treatment centers and outpatient clinics. Its acute inpatient psychiatric facilities provide a high level of care in order to stabilize patients that are either a threat to themselves or to others. Its specialty treatment facilities include residential recovery facilities and eating disorder facilities. Its comprehensive treatment centers specialize in providing medication-assisted treatment in an outpatient setting. Its residential treatment centers treat patients with behavioral disorders in a non-hospital setting. The facilities balance therapy activities with social, academic and other activities. It operates a network of 262 behavioral healthcare facilities with over 11,850 beds in 39 states and Puerto Rico.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Acadia Healthcare Shares Surge on Investor Interest from David Einhorn
- Surge in Investor Interest: Hedge fund manager David Einhorn disclosed his recent purchases of Acadia Healthcare stock during a CNBC appearance, leading to a 15% surge in shares on Wednesday, indicating renewed market interest in the behavioral healthcare operator.
- Current Technical Analysis: Acadia's stock is trading 10.4% above its 20-day simple moving average but remains below its 100-day and 200-day SMAs, suggesting short-term strength but long-term challenges, with a 64.48% decline over the past year.
- Earnings Expectations and Analyst Outlook: Acadia is set to report earnings on February 25, with an EPS estimate of 4 cents and revenue forecast of $799.53 million, indicating growth potential despite challenges, and a P/E ratio of 11.8x suggesting a value opportunity.
- Analyst Rating Dynamics: The stock carries a “Buy” rating with an average price target of $35.37, although RBC Capital and Jefferies have lowered their targets to $17.00 and $15.00 respectively, reflecting mixed market sentiment regarding its future performance.
See More
Stock Price Movements of Various Companies
- Acadia Healthcare Stock Surge: Acadia Healthcare's stock rose 10% after investor David Einhorn announced his purchases, reflecting market optimism about the new management's ability to enhance performance, which could improve future profitability.
- Vertiv's Upbeat Guidance: Vertiv's stock jumped nearly 20% due to its optimistic guidance for 2026, with orders accelerating significantly in Q4, surpassing Wall Street expectations and indicating strong demand in the data center market.
- Unity Software's Downgrade: Unity Software's shares fell nearly 30% after issuing a first-quarter revenue outlook between $480 million and $490 million, below analysts' expectations of $492.1 million, raising concerns about its future growth prospects.
- Smurfit WestRock Order Improvement: Smurfit WestRock's stock soared over 10% after revealing improved product orders in late December, with expectations of reaching $7 billion in profits by 2030, highlighting its long-term growth potential.
See More
David Einhorn Bullish on Peloton After Dip
- Overreaction by Investors: David Einhorn purchased Peloton stock after its latest earnings report, asserting that investors overreacted to the company's disappointing holiday quarter results, which caused a 26% drop in share price on Thursday, while he believes new management and an improving balance sheet will drive recovery.
- Historical Price Comparison: Peloton's stock peaked above $170 during the pandemic but has since plummeted to under $5; Einhorn argues that the stock has been unfairly punished and anticipates improvements in cash flow through cost-cutting and debt refinancing in the near future.
- Acadia Healthcare Outlook: Einhorn is also optimistic about Acadia Healthcare, suggesting that the return of a former successful CEO could help revive the stock, which has fallen from $80 to $13 in recent years, with potential for it to rebound significantly in the coming years.
- View on Housing Market: Einhorn expressed a negative outlook on the housing market, citing a structural decline due to housing shortages, rising rates, and affordability challenges, while mentioning he has high-conviction short positions that he does not plan to disclose.
See More
Acadia Healthcare Shares Surge 12% Following Einhorn's Endorsement
- Stock Surge: Acadia Healthcare (ACHC) shares rose approximately 12% on Wednesday after hedge fund manager David Einhorn endorsed the company, indicating growing market confidence in its future prospects.
- Volume Spike: Nearly 6 million shares of Acadia (ACHC) have changed hands so far, significantly exceeding the 65-day average of 3.4 million shares, suggesting a notable increase in investor interest and potential for future growth.
- Historical Performance Review: Despite a more than 64% decline last year, this rally marks the second-largest intraday gain for 2026, reflecting market expectations for a rebound and potentially attracting more investor attention.
- Leadership Change: Since Debra Osteen took over as CEO in January 2023, Acadia (ACHC) has gained approximately 9% year-to-date, indicating that the new leadership may be steering the company towards a more positive trajectory.
See More
Acadia Healthcare to Release Q4 and Year-End 2025 Results
- Earnings Release Schedule: Acadia Healthcare announced it will release its Q4 and year-end 2025 results on February 25, 2026, before market open, reflecting the company's commitment to transparency and investor communication.
- Investor Conference Call: On the same day, Acadia will hold a conference call at 9:00 a.m. ET to engage with institutional investors and analysts, aiming to enhance market confidence.
- Network Coverage: As of September 30, 2025, Acadia operates 278 behavioral healthcare facilities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, providing approximately 12,500 beds, showcasing its leadership in the industry.
- Employee and Patient Services: With around 25,500 employees serving over 82,000 patients daily, Acadia solidifies its position as the largest stand-alone behavioral healthcare company in the U.S.
See More
Trump Threatens Tariffs, Market Drops 1.5% Amid Risk-Off Sentiment
- Market Reaction: The S&P 500 fell 1.5% to 6,840 points due to Trump's aggressive trade stance towards Europe, marking its worst session since late November, primarily dragged down by consumer discretionary and technology stocks.
- Tariff Threats: Trump threatened to impose a 10% tariff on several European countries starting February 1 if negotiations over Greenland control fail, with potential increases to 25% by June, which could impact up to 25% of U.S. exports to Europe, leading to cautious market reactions.
- Fixed Income Volatility: Long-dated Treasury yields climbed to their highest levels since late September, with the 30-year yield rising 6 basis points to 4.90%, reflecting a risk-off sentiment among investors.
- Precious Metals Surge: Safe-haven demand pushed gold prices up 1.9% to $4,760 per ounce and silver nearly 5% to $94.50 per ounce, indicating market concerns over economic uncertainty.
See More
Acadia Healthcare Shares Surge on Investor Interest from David Einhorn
- Surge in Investor Interest: Hedge fund manager David Einhorn disclosed his recent purchases of Acadia Healthcare stock during a CNBC appearance, leading to a 15% surge in shares on Wednesday, indicating renewed market interest in the behavioral healthcare operator.
- Current Technical Analysis: Acadia's stock is trading 10.4% above its 20-day simple moving average but remains below its 100-day and 200-day SMAs, suggesting short-term strength but long-term challenges, with a 64.48% decline over the past year.
- Earnings Expectations and Analyst Outlook: Acadia is set to report earnings on February 25, with an EPS estimate of 4 cents and revenue forecast of $799.53 million, indicating growth potential despite challenges, and a P/E ratio of 11.8x suggesting a value opportunity.
- Analyst Rating Dynamics: The stock carries a “Buy” rating with an average price target of $35.37, although RBC Capital and Jefferies have lowered their targets to $17.00 and $15.00 respectively, reflecting mixed market sentiment regarding its future performance.
See More
Stock Price Movements of Various Companies
- Acadia Healthcare Stock Surge: Acadia Healthcare's stock rose 10% after investor David Einhorn announced his purchases, reflecting market optimism about the new management's ability to enhance performance, which could improve future profitability.
- Vertiv's Upbeat Guidance: Vertiv's stock jumped nearly 20% due to its optimistic guidance for 2026, with orders accelerating significantly in Q4, surpassing Wall Street expectations and indicating strong demand in the data center market.
- Unity Software's Downgrade: Unity Software's shares fell nearly 30% after issuing a first-quarter revenue outlook between $480 million and $490 million, below analysts' expectations of $492.1 million, raising concerns about its future growth prospects.
- Smurfit WestRock Order Improvement: Smurfit WestRock's stock soared over 10% after revealing improved product orders in late December, with expectations of reaching $7 billion in profits by 2030, highlighting its long-term growth potential.
See More
David Einhorn Bullish on Peloton After Dip
- Overreaction by Investors: David Einhorn purchased Peloton stock after its latest earnings report, asserting that investors overreacted to the company's disappointing holiday quarter results, which caused a 26% drop in share price on Thursday, while he believes new management and an improving balance sheet will drive recovery.
- Historical Price Comparison: Peloton's stock peaked above $170 during the pandemic but has since plummeted to under $5; Einhorn argues that the stock has been unfairly punished and anticipates improvements in cash flow through cost-cutting and debt refinancing in the near future.
- Acadia Healthcare Outlook: Einhorn is also optimistic about Acadia Healthcare, suggesting that the return of a former successful CEO could help revive the stock, which has fallen from $80 to $13 in recent years, with potential for it to rebound significantly in the coming years.
- View on Housing Market: Einhorn expressed a negative outlook on the housing market, citing a structural decline due to housing shortages, rising rates, and affordability challenges, while mentioning he has high-conviction short positions that he does not plan to disclose.
See More
Acadia Healthcare Shares Surge 12% Following Einhorn's Endorsement
- Stock Surge: Acadia Healthcare (ACHC) shares rose approximately 12% on Wednesday after hedge fund manager David Einhorn endorsed the company, indicating growing market confidence in its future prospects.
- Volume Spike: Nearly 6 million shares of Acadia (ACHC) have changed hands so far, significantly exceeding the 65-day average of 3.4 million shares, suggesting a notable increase in investor interest and potential for future growth.
- Historical Performance Review: Despite a more than 64% decline last year, this rally marks the second-largest intraday gain for 2026, reflecting market expectations for a rebound and potentially attracting more investor attention.
- Leadership Change: Since Debra Osteen took over as CEO in January 2023, Acadia (ACHC) has gained approximately 9% year-to-date, indicating that the new leadership may be steering the company towards a more positive trajectory.
See More
Acadia Healthcare to Release Q4 and Year-End 2025 Results
- Earnings Release Schedule: Acadia Healthcare announced it will release its Q4 and year-end 2025 results on February 25, 2026, before market open, reflecting the company's commitment to transparency and investor communication.
- Investor Conference Call: On the same day, Acadia will hold a conference call at 9:00 a.m. ET to engage with institutional investors and analysts, aiming to enhance market confidence.
- Network Coverage: As of September 30, 2025, Acadia operates 278 behavioral healthcare facilities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, providing approximately 12,500 beds, showcasing its leadership in the industry.
- Employee and Patient Services: With around 25,500 employees serving over 82,000 patients daily, Acadia solidifies its position as the largest stand-alone behavioral healthcare company in the U.S.
See More
Trump Threatens Tariffs, Market Drops 1.5% Amid Risk-Off Sentiment
- Market Reaction: The S&P 500 fell 1.5% to 6,840 points due to Trump's aggressive trade stance towards Europe, marking its worst session since late November, primarily dragged down by consumer discretionary and technology stocks.
- Tariff Threats: Trump threatened to impose a 10% tariff on several European countries starting February 1 if negotiations over Greenland control fail, with potential increases to 25% by June, which could impact up to 25% of U.S. exports to Europe, leading to cautious market reactions.
- Fixed Income Volatility: Long-dated Treasury yields climbed to their highest levels since late September, with the 30-year yield rising 6 basis points to 4.90%, reflecting a risk-off sentiment among investors.
- Precious Metals Surge: Safe-haven demand pushed gold prices up 1.9% to $4,760 per ounce and silver nearly 5% to $94.50 per ounce, indicating market concerns over economic uncertainty.
See More
