National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) Shares Gap Up – Should You Buy?

Posted by Stanley Muller on Aug 18th, 2026

National HealthCare Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC – Get Free Report) shares gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $223.59, but opened at $229.43. National HealthCare shares last traded at $230.0070, with a volume of 3,095 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on NHC shares. BMO Capital Markets upgraded National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Robert W. Baird raised National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

Read Our Latest Research Report on NHC

National HealthCare Stock Up 0.8%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $213.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $185.11. The stock has a market cap of $3.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.88 and a beta of 0.61.

National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. National HealthCare had a net margin of 9.00% and a return on equity of 10.03%. The company had revenue of $408.03 million during the quarter.

National HealthCare Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. National HealthCare’s payout ratio is currently 61.89%.

Insider Transactions at National HealthCare

In other news, Director Lisa Piercey bought 949 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $184.26 per share, for a total transaction of $174,862.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 949 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $174,862.74. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 13.92% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of National HealthCare

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of National HealthCare by 53.6% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,724 shares of the company’s stock valued at $253,000 after buying an additional 950 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in National HealthCare by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 16,080 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,492,000 after buying an additional 262 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in National HealthCare by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 9,247 shares of the company’s stock worth $858,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in National HealthCare by 7.1% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 73,772 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,846,000 after acquiring an additional 4,879 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in National HealthCare by 18.1% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 30,246 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,807,000 after acquiring an additional 4,628 shares during the period. 56.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About National HealthCare

(Get Free Report)

National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE American: NHC) is a healthcare services company specializing in long-term care and post-acute rehabilitation. The company operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and outpatient therapy clinics. Through its subsidiary, National HealthCare Partners, NHC provides contract rehabilitation services, pharmacy management and clinical consulting to a broad network of senior living and healthcare providers.

Headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, National HealthCare Corporation has built a regional footprint across the southeastern and south-central United States.