NHC vs. ENSG

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

NHC (National HealthCare Corporation) and ENSG (The Ensign Group, Inc.) are both stocks. Both operate in the Medical Care Facilities industry within the Healthcare sector. Over the past 10 years, NHC returned 14.69%/yr vs 24.84%/yr for ENSG. At a 0.44 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

NHC vs. ENSG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) and The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NHC achieves a 36.54% return, which is significantly higher than ENSG's -4.29% return. Over the past 10 years, NHC has underperformed ENSG with an annualized return of 14.69%, while ENSG has yielded a comparatively higher 24.84% annualized return.

NHC

• 1D: 1.69%
• 1M: 9.28%
• YTD: 36.54%
• 6M: 36.58%
• 1Y: 81.64%
• 3Y*: 47.80%
• 5Y*: 23.95%
• 10Y*: 14.69%

ENSG

• 1D: 0.59%
• 1M: -8.43%
• YTD: -4.29%
• 6M: -6.81%
• 1Y: 10.82%
• 3Y*: 22.31%
• 5Y*: 15.32%
• 10Y*: 24.84%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

NHC vs. ENSG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NHC National HealthCare Corporation	36.54%	30.34%	19.05%	60.84%	-9.42%	5.39%	-20.66%	13.02%	32.43%	-17.26%
ENSG The Ensign Group, Inc.	-4.29%	31.33%	18.62%	18.89%	12.98%	15.43%	61.43%	25.53%	75.67%	0.78%

Correlation

The correlation between NHC and ENSG is 0.44, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.44
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.41
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.45
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.47
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 12, 2007	0.44

Fundamentals

Market Cap NHC : $2.94B ENSG : $9.93B
EPS NHC : $7.89 ENSG : $6.15
PE Ratio NHC : 23.62 ENSG : 27.11
PEG Ratio NHC : 0.51 ENSG : 1.79
PS Ratio NHC : 1.93 ENSG : 1.87
PB Ratio NHC : 2.70 ENSG : 4.20
Total Revenue (TTM) NHC : $1.51B ENSG : $5.27B
Gross Profit (TTM) NHC : $558.31M ENSG : $800.38M
EBITDA (TTM) NHC : $204.52M ENSG : $590.49M

Return for Risk

NHC vs. ENSG — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

NHC

NHC Risk / Return Rank: 92
NHC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
NHC Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
NHC Omega Ratio Rank: 89
NHC Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
NHC Martin Ratio Rank: 94

ENSG

ENSG Risk / Return Rank: 52
ENSG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 55
ENSG Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
ENSG Omega Ratio Rank: 48
ENSG Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
ENSG Martin Ratio Rank: 54

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

NHC vs. ENSG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) and The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	NHC	ENSG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.57	0.41	+2.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.42	0.92	+2.50
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.42	1.10	+0.32
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	6.25	0.46	+5.79
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	16.76	1.37	+15.39
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NHC vs. ENSG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NHC Sharpe Ratio is 2.57, which is higher than the ENSG Sharpe Ratio of 0.41. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NHC and ENSG, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NHC	ENSG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.57	0.41	+2.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.87	0.58	+0.28
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52	0.69	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.25	0.59	-0.34

Drawdowns

NHC vs. ENSG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NHC drawdown since its inception was -96.33%, which is greater than ENSG's maximum drawdown of -55.57%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NHC and ENSG.

Drawdown Indicators

	NHC	ENSG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-96.33%	-55.57%	-40.76%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.13%	-23.53%	+10.40%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-33.40%	-23.53%	-9.87%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.40%	-24.59%	-8.81%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.27%	-55.57%	+20.30%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.55%	-22.75%	+16.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-26.43%	-12.24%	-14.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.89%	7.93%	-3.04%

Volatility

NHC vs. ENSG - Volatility Comparison

National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) has a higher volatility of 13.02% compared to The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG) at 7.53%. This indicates that NHC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ENSG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NHC	ENSG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.02%	7.53%	+5.49%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	25.41%	20.23%	+5.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	31.93%	26.47%	+5.46%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.73%	26.37%	+1.36%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	28.19%	35.99%	-7.80%

Dividends

NHC vs. ENSG - Dividend Comparison

NHC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.37%, more than ENSG's 0.15% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ENSG The Ensign Group, Inc.	0.15%	0.14%	0.18%	0.21%	0.24%	0.25%	0.28%	0.40%	0.47%	0.78%	0.73%	0.67%
NHC National HealthCare Corporation	1.37%	1.85%	2.25%	2.53%	3.80%	3.11%	3.13%	2.38%	2.52%	3.10%	2.31%	3.14%

Financials

NHC vs. ENSG - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between National HealthCare Corporation and The Ensign Group, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

NHC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, National HealthCare Corporation reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 369.81M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

ENSG - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Ensign Group, Inc. reported a gross profit of 293.37M and revenue of 1.39B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 21.1%.

NHC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, National HealthCare Corporation reported an operating income of 32.25M and revenue of 369.81M, resulting in an operating margin of 8.7%.

ENSG - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Ensign Group, Inc. reported an operating income of 124.85M and revenue of 1.39B, resulting in an operating margin of 9.0%.

NHC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, National HealthCare Corporation reported a net income of 35.86M and revenue of 369.81M, resulting in a net margin of 9.7%.

ENSG - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Ensign Group, Inc. reported a net income of 99.67M and revenue of 1.39B, resulting in a net margin of 7.2%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NHC and ENSG in my portfolio?

NHC and ENSG have a correlation of 0.44, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NHC or ENSG?

NHC has higher volatility (13.02%) compared to ENSG (7.53%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NHC dropped -96.33% vs ENSG's -55.57%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NHC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.57 vs 0.41), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.