Stock fact sheet · data as of
Ardent Health Inc. (ARDT): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Healthcare · Medical - Care Facilities · United States · Blend
Is ARDT undervalued?
ARDT has a margin of safety of 57%: the stock closed at 12.20 on 16 Oct 2026 against a GLS average fair value of 28.12. 5 of the 8 valuation models that produced a number sit above the price. Our screens treat a discount this large as a strong starting point for a cash-secured put, not as a verdict - the fair value is a model output, and a wide gap can mean the models are missing something the market knows.
There is a wide gap between EPV (6.13) and Payback Time (54.66). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
The nightly engine files ARDT under Blend.
Nine valuation models for ARDT
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 35.85 | +194% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 10.88 | -11% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 21.26 | +74% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 8.53 | -30% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 33.80 | +177% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 53.88 | +342% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 54.66 | +348% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | - | - | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend; no value tonight |
| EPV | 6.13 | -50% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -10.96 | -190% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 12.67 | +4% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Ardent Health Inc. scores 5 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score: a middling result that falls one point short of the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. Some of the nine tests on profitability, leverage and efficiency are failed, so the accounts are worth a look before selling a put on the name. On durability ARDT scores 6.8/10 on the GLS Moat - a middle reading; the Scorecard on the Quote page's Financials tab shows which ten-year lines are steady and which are not.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 3.4%, ROE 8.1%, ROA 2.6% - with debt at 1.34 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 17.5%.
Ardent Health Inc. pays no dividend, so the DDM model does not apply and a covered-call holder earns only the premium and any price gain. Revenue comes mainly from Reportable 100% (quarter Q2 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 9/10, insider activity 10/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 5 / 9 | ROIC | 3.4% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 6.8 / 10 | ROE | 8.1% |
| Debt / equity | 1.34 | ROA | 2.6% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 17.5% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 9 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 10 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 80: Prime
With a Wheel Score of 80, Ardent Health Inc. sits in the Prime band - price, quality and premium all line up for the wheel strategy. The parts: Value 25/25, Health 11/20, Moat 10/15, Premium 20/20, Stability 13/20. A high score is a ranking, not a signal: it says nothing about timing, the earnings date or your position size.
Implied volatility is 57% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is thin - 1,965 contracts across every expiry - so fills at a fair price are not guaranteed; a 30-45-day put may not exist at a usable strike.
Volume runs at 538k shares a day on a market cap of $1.7B, with a beta of 0.72 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 13 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 25 / 25 | 57% margin of safety | |
| Health | 11 / 20 | Piotroski 5/9 | |
| Moat | 10 / 15 | moat 6.8/10 | |
| Premium | 20 / 20 | implied volatility 57% | |
| Stability | 13 / 20 | 538k shares/day, $1.7B cap, beta 0.72 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 11 Nov 2026 (after the close), 26 days away; a 30-45-day put sold today would expire after it, which is worth weighing against the premium.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Medical - Care Facilities
The 12 companies below are the closest to Ardent Health Inc. by market cap within the Medical - Care Facilities industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNDA Sonida Senior Living, Inc. | 35.79 | 112.02 | +68% | 45Weak | $1.7B |
| ASTH Astrana Health, Inc. | 38.03 | 37.22 | -2% | 55Fair | $1.9B |
| AMN AMN Healthcare Services, Inc. | 40.00 | 75.98 | +47% | 81Prime | $1.5B |
| SGRY Surgery Partners, Inc. | 14.83 | 46.26 | +68% | 45Weak | $1.9B |
| AGL Agilon Health, Inc. | 88.45 | - | - | 37Weak | $1.5B |
| HCSG Healthcare Services Group, Inc. | 21.43 | 45.20 | +53% | 82Prime | $1.5B |
| PNTG The Pennant Group, Inc. | 40.82 | 26.64 | -53% | 51Fair | $1.4B |
| NUTX Nutex Health, Inc. | 200.80 | 732.07 | +73% | 39No options | $1.4B |
| ADUS Addus HomeCare Corporation | 116.49 | 115.55 | -1% | 67Good | $2.2B |
| MD Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. | 27.76 | 34.92 | +21% | 78Good | $2.3B |
| USPH U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. | 84.91 | 50.56 | -68% | 45Weak | $1.3B |
| BKD Brookdale Senior Living Inc. | 10.09 | 8.23 | -23% | 45Weak | $2.4B |
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A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the same eight-rule screen, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about ARDT
Is ARDT undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 12.20 the stock is 57% below the average fair value of 28.12 (data as of 16 Oct 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of ARDT and what does it mean?
ARDT scores 80 out of 100 (Prime). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for ARDT?
28.12 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 8 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Ardent Health Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 11 Nov 2026 (after the close), 26 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does ARDT have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 110 listed contracts with 1,965 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 57% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.