Ardent Health (NYSE:ARDT) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.03 EPS

Ardent Health (NYSE:ARDT) announced its earnings results on Wednesday. The company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.03), FiscalAI reports. Ardent Health had a net margin of 2.15% and a return on equity of 14.46%. The business had revenue of $1.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.63 billion. Ardent Health updated its FY 2026 guidance to 0.900-1.270 EPS.

Ardent Health Stock Down 2.1%

ARDT stock opened at $9.44 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.31 and a beta of 0.46. Ardent Health has a 12 month low of $8.07 and a 12 month high of $15.48. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $9.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 2.08 and a quick ratio of 1.95.

Ardent Health News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Ardent Health this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management expects $485M–$535M of 2026 EBITDA through an “impact program” (cost savings) and is expanding AI-driven care initiatives — a clear signal of margin focus and operational improvement that can support earnings recovery over time. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings call transcript and slide presentation are available for investors who want the management commentary and detailed metrics behind the quarter and guidance. Useful for modeling recoveries or downside risk. Earnings Call Transcript Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results missed estimates: $0.32 EPS vs. $0.35 consensus and revenue $1.61B vs. $1.63B, with net margin and ROE compressed — a short‑term catalyst for selling. Zacks Article
• Negative Sentiment: Ardent trimmed FY2026 EPS guidance to $0.90–$1.27 vs. the ~$1.40 consensus and gave revenue guidance slightly below Street expectations — a material downward revision that forces analysts to re‑rate near‑term estimates. Press Release / Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms have filed or are soliciting clients to join securities class actions related to a November 2025 disclosure about receivables collectability (an alleged $97M accounting “shock” and use of a rigid 180‑day cliff for reserves). The surge of litigation notices increases legal and reputational risk and is a near‑term overhang on the stock. Representative filings/alerts: Rosen, Hagens Berman, Pomerantz, Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, Schall, Bronstein, ClaimsFiler and others. Rosen Notice Schall Notice

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ardent Health

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ARDT. Goldentree Asset Management LP raised its stake in shares of Ardent Health by 99.7% during the 4th quarter. Goldentree Asset Management LP now owns 2,303,113 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,302,000 after buying an additional 1,150,000 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in Ardent Health by 1,684.9% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 767,862 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,558,000 after purchasing an additional 724,841 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of Ardent Health by 75.6% in the second quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,634,822 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,332,000 after buying an additional 703,739 shares in the last quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ardent Health by 108.2% during the 4th quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 946,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,358,000 after buying an additional 491,961 shares during the period. Finally, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ardent Health during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $6,377,000.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ARDT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Ardent Health from $12.00 to $11.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their target price on shares of Ardent Health from $21.00 to $16.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 14th. KeyCorp lowered shares of Ardent Health from an “overweight” rating to a “sector weight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Ardent Health from $12.00 to $10.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Ardent Health from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 23rd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ardent Health currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $14.58.

Ardent Health Company Profile

Ardent Health, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ARDT, is a healthcare delivery company focused on acquiring, developing and managing acute care hospitals and complementary outpatient facilities across the United States. The company’s integrated platform encompasses both inpatient and outpatient services, designed to provide end-to-end care solutions and address the full continuum of patient needs.

Through its network, Ardent Health operates general hospitals, emergency departments, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care clinics, rehabilitation and post-acute care facilities.