Ardent Health (NYSE:ARDT) Trading Down 4.3% – Here’s Why

Ardent Health, Inc. (NYSE:ARDT)’s stock price dropped 4.3% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $9.37 and last traded at $9.3410. Approximately 8,782 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 98% from the average daily volume of 393,903 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.76.

Key Headlines Impacting Ardent Health

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Company fundamentals and technicals provide context but don’t offset headlines — Ardent’s market cap (~$1.3B), low P/E (~6.5), current/quick ratios above 1.9, and recent trading below its 200‑day moving average are background data investors are weighing. MarketBeat ARDT page
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple national law firms have filed suits or are soliciting investors to join a securities class action related to the company’s disclosures covering July 18, 2024–Nov. 12, 2025 and are pushing to be named lead plaintiff by the March 9, 2026 deadline — a catalyst for selling as potential damages, legal costs and executive risk become more salient. Representative notice: Robbins LLP class action reminder. Business Wire class action reminder
• Negative Sentiment: Allegations center on a material reserve/accounting issue — firms (e.g., Hagens Berman) highlight an alleged ~$97M “accounting shock” and the use of a rigid “180‑day cliff” to reserve uncollectible accounts, which contradicts prior company statements about using historical collection reviews. That specific allegation increases the risk that past results may be restated or that material adjustments could hit future earnings. PR Newswire Hagens Berman article

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Ardent Health from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 23rd. UBS Group reduced their target price on Ardent Health from $14.50 to $14.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 18th. Leerink Partners set a $16.00 price target on Ardent Health in a report on Friday, November 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Ardent Health from $21.00 to $16.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of Ardent Health from $18.00 to $15.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $14.58.

Ardent Health Trading Down 1.6%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $8.89 and a 200-day moving average of $11.18. The stock has a market cap of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.45 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 1.95 and a current ratio of 2.08.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ardent Health

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ARDT. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Ardent Health by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 71,304 shares of the company’s stock worth $630,000 after buying an additional 13,964 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Ardent Health by 135.0% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 551,738 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,872,000 after acquiring an additional 316,961 shares in the last quarter. VARCOV Co. purchased a new position in Ardent Health in the fourth quarter valued at $232,000. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC grew its stake in Ardent Health by 101.8% during the 4th quarter. Susquehanna Portfolio Strategies LLC now owns 62,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $556,000 after purchasing an additional 31,758 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Numerai GP LLC purchased a new stake in Ardent Health during the 4th quarter worth about $616,000.

About Ardent Health

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.