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Acadia Healthcare Co's total free cash flow for the
months ended in Jun. 2026 was
$124 Mil.
Its total free cash flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Jun. 2026 was $-134 Mil.
Acadia Healthcare Co's Free Cash Flow per Share for the
months ended in Jun. 2026 was $1.35.
Its free cash flow per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Jun. 2026 was $-1.49.
During the past 13 years, Acadia Healthcare Co's highest 3-Year average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 238.90% per year. The lowest was -55.90% per year. And the median was 7.55% per year.
Acadia Healthcare Co (NAS:ACHC) Free Cash Flow Explanation
Free Cash Flow is very close to Warren Buffett's definition of Owner's Earnings, except that in Warren Buffett's Owner's Earnings, the spending for Property, Plant, and Equipment is only for maintenance (replacement), while in the Free Cash Flow calculation, the cost of new Property, Plant, and Equipment due to business expansion is also deducted. There, Free Cash Flow is more conservative than Owner's Earnings.
In Don Yacktman's calculation of forward rate of return, he uses Free Cash Flow for the calculation. Yacktman explained the forward rate of return concept in detail in his interview with GuruFocus. Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation.
This is what Yacktman said in his March 2012 interview - when the S&P 500 was at 1400:
If the business is stable, this calculation is fairly straightforward. For instance, on the S&P 500 we would normalize earnings. We would then calculate what percentage of those earnings are not reinvested in the underlying businesses and are therefore free. Historically, for the S&P 500, this has been just under 50% of earnings. Currently, we expect the S&P to earn about 70 on a normalized basis, a number which is far below reported earnings due to our adjusting for record high profit margins. $70 X ½ / 1400 gives you a normalized free cash flow yield of approximately 2.5%.
The historical real growth rate of the S&P 500 (companies) is about 1.5%. Assuming an inflation rate of 2.5%, the forward rate of return on an investment in the S&P 500 is about 6.5% today (2.5% free cash flow yield plus 1.5% real growth plus 2.5% inflation).
For the growth part of the Forward Rate of Return calculation, GuruFocus uses the 5-year average growth rate of EBITDA per share as the growth rate, and the growth rate is always capped at 20%. For the Free Cash Flow we use per share data averaged over five years. The reason we use five years is because research shows that five years is the length of the typical business cycle.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Be Aware
Free Cash Flow within a report period can be affected by management's decisions of capital spending. Therefore, it is important to look at long term when it comes to Free Cash Flow.
Acadia Healthcare Co Free Cash Flow Related Terms
Acadia Healthcare Co Free Cash Flow Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Acadia Healthcare Co's Free Cash Flow can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Free Cash Flow is considered one of the most important parameters to measure a company's earnings power by value investors because it is not subject to estimates of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization (DDA). However, when we look at the Free Cash Flow, we should look from a long term perspective, because any year's Free Cash Flow can be drastically affected by the spending on Property, Plant, & Equipment (PPE) of the business in that year. Over the long term, Free Cash Flow should give pretty good picture on the real earnings power of the company.
Acadia Healthcare Co's Free Cash Flow for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as
Free Cash Flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Jun. 2026 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was $-134 Mil.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Acadia Healthcare Co (ACHC) has a Free Cash Flow of $-134 Mil as of Jun. 2026. Free cash flow represents the total amount of cash a company has on hand following operating and capital expenditures. View historial data for Acadia Healthcare Co and its competitors.
Is Acadia Healthcare Co's Free Cash Flow too high?
Acadia Healthcare Co's current Free Cash Flow is $-134 Mil. Overall, Acadia Healthcare Co has a GF Score™ of 64/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Acadia Healthcare Co's Free Cash Flow compare to OPCH and NHC?
Acadia Healthcare Co's Free Cash Flow of $-134 Mil can be compared against companies in the Healthcare Providers & Services industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Free Cash Flow for a Healthcare Providers & Services company?
A good Free Cash Flow depends on the Healthcare Providers & Services industry context. However, Free Cash Flow should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Free Cash Flow mean?
A high Free Cash Flow can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Free cash flow represents the total amount of cash a company has on hand following operating and capital expenditures. View historial data for Acadia Healthcare Co and its competitors. Acadia Healthcare Co's current Free Cash Flow is $-134 Mil. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Acadia Healthcare Co stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Acadia Healthcare Co (ACHC) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $41.50, compared to a current price of $29.03 — trading 30.1% below its estimated fair value. The current Free Cash Flow is $-134 Mil. Acadia Healthcare Co's overall GF Score™ is 64/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Free Cash Flow calculated?
Free Cash Flow is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Acadia Healthcare Co (ACHC), the current Free Cash Flow is $-134 Mil as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Acadia Healthcare Co (ACHC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Acadia Healthcare Co stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $29.03 is trading 30.1% below its estimated GF Value™ of $41.50.
GuruFocus considers Acadia Healthcare Co to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for ACHC:
Free Cash Flow: $-134 Mil
GF Value™: $41.50 vs. price of $29.03 (30.1% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the ACHC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Acadia Healthcare Co Inc acquires and develops behavioral healthcare facilities. Its facilities and services are classified into the following categories: acute inpatient psychiatric facilities; specialty treatment facilities; CTCs; and residential treatment centers. In which Acute inpatient psychiatric facilities contribute the majority of revenue in the United States. The Company has one reportable segment, behavioral healthcare services. The behavioral healthcare services segment provides inpatient and outpatient behavioral healthcare services.
64GF Score
Get the complete analysis for ACHC
Free Cash Flow is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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