Zacks upgrades National Health Investors stock to Hold

Published on 10/01/2026 at 14:43 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Adjusted second-quarter earnings hit USD 1.15 per share versus USD 0.87 expected. NHI stock's payout rose USD 0.02 to USD 0.94 per share.

NHI, US6374321057, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

National Health Investors (US6374321057) moved from a strong sell rating to hold in the latest analyst update. MarketBeat reported on October 1, 2026 that Zacks Research made the change, while the same report listed a consensus price target of USD 82.25.

Analyst targets stay above USD 79

The rating shift comes alongside a mixed target picture. MarketBeat reported targets of USD 79.00 from National Bank Financial and Huntington, USD 80.00 from Truist after a cut from USD 81.00, and USD 80.00 from BMO Capital Markets.

Investing.com reported on September 2, 2026 that Truist retained a buy rating while lowering its target from USD 81.00 to USD 80.00 after reducing its 2026 and 2027 funds-from-operations estimates.

Second-quarter earnings beat expectations

National Health Investors delivered adjusted earnings of USD 1.15 per share in the second quarter of 2026, above the USD 0.87 consensus cited by Investing.com. The report also said revenue reached USD 68.90 million against an expected USD 71.52 million, leaving a clear split between earnings performance and revenue delivery.

The company raised its quarterly dividend by USD 0.02 to USD 0.94 per share. The Globe and Mail reported that second-quarter net income per share rose 45.60 percent year over year, helped by a USD 22.00 million real estate sale gain, while NAREIT funds from operations remained at USD 1.19 per share.

Senior housing becomes a larger driver

The Globe and Mail also reported that total senior housing operating portfolio net operating income reached USD 11.00 million in the second quarter, up 188.50 percent from the prior-year period. Same-store net operating income at 15 legacy properties fell 6.30 percent to USD 3.60 million, showing why portfolio expansion and property-level performance need to be separated.

National Health Investors completed a USD 560.00 million NHC portfolio sale and reported USD 237.20 million of year-to-date private-pay senior housing investments, according to The Globe and Mail. Its net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio stood at 4.10 times on June 30, 2026, inside the stated 3.50 to 4.50 times target range.

Market value and trading range

National Health Investors had a market capitalization of USD 3.2 billion as of September 30, 2026. Its 52-week range was USD 65.51 to USD 91.38, placing the latest primary-market value near the lower end of that interval.