NHC vs. SEM

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

NHC (National HealthCare Corporation) and SEM (Select Medical Holdings Corporation) are both stocks. Both operate in the Medical Care Facilities industry within the Healthcare sector. Over the past 10 years, NHC returned 14.72%/yr vs 11.09%/yr for SEM. At a 0.39 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

NHC vs. SEM - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NHC achieves a 37.48% return, which is significantly higher than SEM's 12.48% return. Over the past 10 years, NHC has outperformed SEM with an annualized return of 14.72%, while SEM has yielded a comparatively lower 11.09% annualized return.

NHC

• 1D: -2.29%
• 1M: -0.58%
• YTD: 37.48%
• 6M: 43.22%
• 1Y: 80.47%
• 3Y*: 48.50%
• 5Y*: 24.04%
• 10Y*: 14.72%

SEM

• 1D: 0.18%
• 1M: 1.36%
• YTD: 12.48%
• 6M: 12.02%
• 1Y: 9.24%
• 3Y*: 4.38%
• 5Y*: -3.65%
• 10Y*: 11.09%

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

NHC vs. SEM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NHC National HealthCare Corporation	37.48%	30.34%	19.05%	60.84%	-9.42%	5.39%	-20.66%	13.02%	32.43%	-17.26%
SEM Select Medical Holdings Corporation	12.48%	-19.84%	51.24%	-3.52%	-13.85%	7.41%	18.51%	52.05%	-13.03%	33.21%

Correlation

The correlation between NHC and SEM is 0.40, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.40
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.36
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.39
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.41
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 28, 2009	0.39

Fundamentals

EPS NHC : $7.89 SEM : $1.44
PE Ratio NHC : 23.79 SEM : 11.49
PS Ratio NHC : 1.95 SEM : 0.28
Total Revenue (TTM) NHC : $1.51B SEM : $5.52B
Gross Profit (TTM) NHC : $558.31M SEM : $588.00M
EBITDA (TTM) NHC : $204.52M SEM : $442.21M

Return for Risk

NHC vs. SEM — Risk / Return Rank

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

NHC

NHC Risk / Return Rank: 93
NHC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
NHC Sortino Ratio Rank: 92
NHC Omega Ratio Rank: 90
NHC Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
NHC Martin Ratio Rank: 94

SEM

SEM Risk / Return Rank: 51
SEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
SEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 46
SEM Omega Ratio Rank: 51
SEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
SEM Martin Ratio Rank: 53

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. SEM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) and Select Medical Holdings Corporation (SEM). 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	SEM	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.52	0.30	+2.23
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.36	0.62	+2.74
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.41	1.11	+0.30
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	6.16	0.39	+5.77
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	16.45	0.98	+15.46
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. SEM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NHC Sharpe Ratio is 2.52, which is higher than the SEM Sharpe Ratio of 0.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NHC and SEM, 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	SEM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.52	0.30	+2.23
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.87	-0.10	+0.97
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52	0.26	+0.26
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.25	0.22	+0.03

Drawdowns

NHC vs. SEM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NHC drawdown since its inception was -96.33%, which is greater than SEM's maximum drawdown of -60.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NHC and SEM.

Drawdown Indicators

	NHC	SEM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-96.33%	-60.26%	-36.07%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.13%	-24.02%	+10.89%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-33.40%	-45.04%	+11.64%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.40%	-49.09%	+15.69%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.27%	-60.26%	+24.99%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.90%	-22.10%	+16.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-26.42%	-22.66%	-3.76%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.92%	9.40%	-4.48%

Volatility

NHC vs. SEM - Volatility Comparison

National HealthCare Corporation (NHC) has a higher volatility of 13.13% compared to Select Medical Holdings Corporation (SEM) at 0.69%. This indicates that NHC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SEM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NHC	SEM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.13%	0.69%	+12.44%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	25.60%	13.47%	+12.13%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	32.13%	31.38%	+0.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.74%	37.44%	-9.70%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	28.21%	42.30%	-14.09%

Dividends

NHC vs. SEM - Dividend Comparison

NHC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.36%, less than SEM's 1.51% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NHC National HealthCare Corporation	1.36%	1.85%	2.25%	2.53%	3.80%	3.11%	3.13%	2.38%	2.52%	3.10%	2.31%	3.14%
SEM Select Medical Holdings Corporation	1.51%	1.68%	97.39%	2.13%	2.01%	1.28%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.84%

Financials

NHC vs. SEM - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between National HealthCare Corporation and Select Medical Holdings Corporation 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%.

SEM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Select Medical Holdings Corporation reported a gross profit of 175.47M and revenue of 1.42B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 12.3%.

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%.

SEM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Select Medical Holdings Corporation reported an operating income of 98.42M and revenue of 1.42B, resulting in an operating margin of 6.9%.

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%.

SEM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Select Medical Holdings Corporation reported a net income of 44.00M and revenue of 1.42B, resulting in a net margin of 3.1%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NHC and SEM in my portfolio?

NHC and SEM have a correlation of 0.40, 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 SEM?

NHC has higher volatility (13.13%) compared to SEM (0.69%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NHC dropped -96.33% vs SEM's -60.26%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NHC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.52 vs 0.30), 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.