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Quote this valuation with its source: Fair value, Potential value and the price at analysis.
FAQ
DVA — frequently asked questions
Is DaVita Inc. overvalued?
In our latest published analysis dated 2026-09-20, DVA looks meaningfully undervalued. The price recorded at analysis is 184 USD versus our fair value of 386 USD; the high endpoint is presented separately as potential value of 491 USD. That implies roughly 110.2% upside to fair value at that date.
Our latest published report, analyzed 2026-09-20, gives DVA a fair value of 386 USD and a potential value of 491 USD. The conclusion is triangulated across multiple valuation models and weighted by reliability for DaVita Inc.'s archetype; it is a dated research output, not a live price.
Should I buy DVA now?
Our latest published rating for DVA, analyzed 2026-09-20, is Strong Buy. DaVita Inc. looks meaningfully undervalued at the analysis-date price of 184 USD versus fair value of 386 USD; potential value is 491 USD. This is research for educational purposes, not personalized investment advice.
What are the biggest risks for DVA?
The dedicated bear-case section in our report analyzed 2026-09-20 documents DaVita Inc.'s material risks, evidence, thresholds, and thesis-invalidation conditions. Scenario-specific explanations remain in that section so the report does not repeat or decontextualize them elsewhere.
What is DVA's rating?
Our latest published rating for DVA, analyzed 2026-09-20, is Strong Buy, with a published moat assessment of 7/10 (Narrow). It reflects our fair value of 386 USD, the potential value of 491 USD, and the price recorded at analysis (184 USD).
We assign a Strong Buy rating to DaVita Inc. based on its dominant market position in outpatient kidney dialysis, robust free cash flow generation, and aggressive share repurchases that offer substantial upside to our Fair value.
We rate DaVita Inc. as a Strong Buy. For an equity investor, this rating signifies high conviction that the stock offers substantial total return potential driven by predictable earnings compounding and a wide gap between the current market valuation and intrinsic value.
The report was prepared at a price of $183.86 on September 18, 2026. Against this level, our house valuation determines a Fair value of $386.49, indicating an upside potential of 110.21%. Under favorable operating execution and valuation expansion, reaches $490.58.
The primary risk that would challenge this view is a compression in commercial reimbursement rates or clinical wage inflation that causes clinic operating margins to fall below 12.0%. Because commercial contracts cross-subsidize government programs, such margin erosion would compress annual free cash flow below $800,000,000, elevate debt service pressure on $12,874,331,000 in total debt, and force a suspension of share repurchases.2,4,5
The primary driver of the thesis is DaVita's entrenched nationwide clinic network delivering non-discretionary dialysis, generating $13,643,069,000 in revenue and $1,310,636,000 in free cash flow. Management directs this excess cash flow into aggressive share repurchases, shrinking diluted shares from 93,182,000 in FY2023 to 75,885,000 in FY2025, systematically compounding per-share earnings toward our Fair value of $386.49.4,5
Entrenched Duopoly and Predictable Treatment Volume
DaVita controls a vital share of US kidney dialysis centers, delivering non-discretionary care that yields $11.79B in US dialysis revenue.6
Trading at $183.86 as of September 18, 2026, the stock trades at 9.99x forward earnings, well below peers and offering 110.21% upside to our $386.49 Fair value.2
Recomendación de la casa
We rate DaVita a Strong Buy because its non-discretionary dialysis duopoly generates consistent free cash flow that management systematically returns to shareholders via share buybacks, driving substantial per-share value accretion.
Descripción general de la empresa
In addition, under an existing Executive Order, the current administration seeks the right to pursue remedies under the FCA for violations of civil rights laws implicated by inappropriate diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The ACA provides that claims tainted by a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute are false for purposes of the FCA.
Although Medicare reimbursement limits the allowable charge per treatment, it provides industry participants with a relatively predictable and recurring revenue stream for dialysis services provided to patients without commercial insurance.
§2 Caso bajistaEN
Under a severe downside stress scenario combining clinical labor inflation, commercial reimbursement rate cuts of 150-300 bps, and a 200 bps increase in refinancing rates on $12,874,331,000 of total debt, operating margin compresses below 12.0%. This reduces free cash flow below $800,000,000 and halts share repurchases.
Refinancing coupon increases raise interest expense and halt share repurchases
The bear path reflects severe commercial payer reimbursement compression, persistent clinical nurse wage escalation that outpaces government reimbursement updates, and higher debt refinancing rates that divert operational cash away from share buybacks toward debt service.
Cómo puede fallar esta tesis
Commercial reimbursement squeeze and Medicare rate lag causes permanent clinic margin compression
FY2025 operating income of $2,043,615,000 on revenue of $13,643,069,000 sets a 14.98% baseline. If commercial insurers renegotiate rates or CMS fee updates trail clinic wage inflation, operating margin falling below 12.0% permanently impairs operating income and cash flows.5
FV impact
0%
Operating margin 3 points lower throughout
Señales de alerta temprana a vigilar
Los cinco acontecimientos que debilitarían nuestra tesis de inversión.
01
operating_margin
Operating margin falling below 12.0% indicates that commercial rate cuts or clinic wage inflation are overwhelming statutory fee updates.
Actual:14.98%
Alerta si<12.0%
02
free_cash_flow
Free cash flow declining below $800M indicates rising interest costs and margin compression, forcing management to suspend share buybacks.
§3 Foso competitivoEN
Narrow
DaVita's narrow economic moat stems from efficient scale and high patient switching costs in outpatient hemodialysis. Operating alongside Fresenius in a stable US duopoly, DaVita delivers life-sustaining care to chronic kidney disease patients, generating $11,792,944,000 in US dialysis revenue.
Local clinic density and entrenched medical director relationships with community nephrologists create formidable barriers to entry. Acute hospital systems such as HCA and UHS operate in distinct care settings and face high capital barriers to replicating specialized freestanding dialysis networks.
Beneficio económico
DaVita earns an ROIC of 16.39%, comfortably surpassing its WACC of 6.48% and strict cost of equity of 8.09%, demonstrating durable excess returns generated across its national clinic footprint.1
7/ 10
Narrow
Sources of advantage
01Efficient scale in outpatient dialysis clinic network — DaVita generates $11,792,944,000 in US dialysis revenue across an extensive clinic footprint that deters redundant capital entry.Wide
02High patient switching costs and nephrologist referral integration — Dialysis patients require life-sustaining treatment thrice weekly coordinated with clinic nephrologists, establishing high clinical continuity barriers.Moderate
03Scale cost advantage in procurement and clinic operations — Duopoly scale allows DaVita to maintain clinic operating efficiency and absorb regulatory compliance overhead that smaller providers cannot match.Moderate
Amenazas conocidas al foso
Amenaza
Severidad
Cronograma
Mitigación
Commercial reimbursement rate pressure and patient migration to Medicare Advantage
high
18 months
Value-based integrated kidney care partnerships and scale delivery network across outpatient clinics.
Clinical nurse and technician wage inflation squeezing clinic operating margins
The highlighted cell is Fair value when every assumption sits at its base level ($386.49). Each row and column shows what Fair value becomes when one assumption moves.
Free cash flow to the firm stays positive in the first projected year at $1.8B after modeled capex of $575.9M, with terminal value at 71.8% of enterprise value. A sudden drop in free cash flow is not projected unless capital spending relative to revenue, reinvestment, or gross margin resets materially.
The base path expects steady outpatient dialysis treatment volume expansion, stable commercial reimbursement agreements, and disciplined center cost management. Continued free cash flow generation enables ongoing share repurchases that compound per-share earnings, supporting a target of $386.49 with a probability of 60.0% and an expected return of 110.2% relative to $183.86.
Integrated kidney care contracts accelerate revenue growth
Commercial reimbursement rates expand ahead of clinical inflation
Accelerated share repurchases shrink share count faster than baseline
§7 Árbol de decisión de resultadosEN
Superado
Maintain the rating; Maintain position and verify that share repurchases continue without increasing debt leverage.
Disparador: Diluted earnings per share and quarterly revenue exceed consensus expectations driven by commercial rate stability and center operating cost containment.
An earnings beat confirms clinic labor stabilization and commercial reimbursement durability, reinforcing cash flow generation toward $490.58.
En línea
Maintain the rating; Hold existing allocation and monitor quarterly free cash flow and debt refinancing terms.
In-line performance keeps the thesis on track, supporting progress toward Fair value of $386.49 with an upside of 110.2% from $183.86.
Fallo
Downgrade to Hold; Re-examine operating margin trajectory and pause additional capital commitments.
Disparador: Operating margin contracts sharply due to unrecovered clinical wage inflation or commercial rate cuts.
An earnings miss driven by clinic cost inflation or payer cuts weakens cash generation and limits buyback capacity, narrowing intrinsic value.
Calidad de los beneficios
Earnings quality remains supported by cash collection discipline, with operating cash flow exceeding reported net income. Cash conversion reflects prompt reimbursement collections and low maintenance capital requirements, while receivables and payables remain aligned with treatment volume. The primary consideration is that clinic operating income depends on commercial reimbursement rates to cover fixed clinic labor costs.
Management prioritizes share repurchases, deploying $1,308,366,000 into buybacks in FY2025. This reduced diluted average shares from 93,182,000 in FY2023 to 75,885,000 in FY2025. However, total debt of $12,874,331,000 requires careful allocation between buybacks and debt service.
High debt leverage exposes earnings to refinancing rate shocks
Ingresos más recientes13,6 mil M US$CAGR de ingresos +2,7 %
Margen operativo15,0 %10 periodos fiscales
Flujo de caja libre más reciente1310,6 M US$FY2025
Deuda neta12,2 mil M US$FY2025
Desglose de la cuenta de resultadosCómo la escala del negocio se convierte en beneficio declarado.
StockMarketAgent.AI
Ingresos13,6 mil M US$Coste de ventas−9958,8 M US$Beneficio bruto3684,2 M US$Gastos operativos−1640,6 M US$Beneficio operativo2043,6 M US$Partidas no operativas e impuestos−1296,8 M US$Beneficio neto746,8 M US$
Datos del historial financiero
Ingresos
13.643.069.000 US$
Coste de ventas
9.958.824.000 US$
Beneficio bruto
3.684.245.000 US$
Gastos operativos
1.640.630.000 US$
Beneficio operativo
2.043.615.000 US$
Partidas no operativas e impuestos
-1.296.812.000 US$
Beneficio neto
746.803.000 US$
Puente de flujo de cajaCómo el flujo de caja operativo se convirtió en flujo de caja libre en FY2025.
StockMarketAgent.AI
Conciliación del flujo operativo
Beneficio neto746,8 M US$Depreciación y amortización+708,3 M US$Compensación basada en acciones+140 M US$Otros ajustes operativos+291,5 M US$Flujo de caja operativo1886,5 M US$
Conciliación del efectivo inicial al final
Efectivo inicial879,8 M US$Flujo de caja operativo+1886,5 M US$Flujo de inversión−654,9 M US$Flujo de financiación−1374,8 M US$Efecto del tipo de cambio+21,2 M US$Efectivo final757,7 M US$
1886,5 M US$ − 575,9 M US$Flujo de caja libre 1310,6 M US$
Datos del puente de flujo de caja
Beneficio neto
746.803.000 US$
Entrada operativa
1.886.500.000 US$
Depreciación y amortización
708.252.000 US$
Compensación basada en acciones
139.953.000 US$
Otros ajustes operativos
291.492.000 US$
Flujo de caja operativo
1.886.500.000 US$
Efectivo disponible
2.787.476.000 US$
Efectivo inicial
879.825.000 US$
Efecto del tipo de cambio
21.151.000 US$
Salida de inversión
654.949.000 US$
Capex
575.864.000 US$
Otras actividades de inversión
79.085.000 US$
Salida de financiación
1.374.780.000 US$
Emisión neta de deuda
823.435.000 US$
Recompras de acciones
1.308.366.000 US$
Otras actividades de financiación
889.849.000 US$
Efectivo final
757.747.000 US$
Flujo de inversión
-654.949.000 US$
Flujo de financiación
-1.374.780.000 US$
Ingresos por segmento operativoProporción de los ingresos totales de 2025-12-31.
13,6 mil M US$Ingresos totales
Ingresos por segmento operativoProporción
USDialysis And Related Lab Services With Intersegment11,8 mil M US$86,4 %
All Other Segments1911,1 M US$14 %
Fuente: SEC EDGAR · Presentado 2026-02-11 · SEC EDGAR
Datos de composición de ingresos: Ingresos por segmento operativo
Ingresos por segmento operativo
Ingresos
Proporción
interanual
USDialysis And Related Lab Services With Intersegment
11,8 mil M US$
86,4 %
—
All Other Segments
1911,1 M US$
14 %
—
Ingresos y beneficiosCómo la escala del negocio se convierte en beneficio declarado.
Efectivo y deudaLiquidez disponible frente al endeudamiento total.
Generación de efectivoFlujo de caja operativo frente al flujo de caja libre.
RentabilidadEvolución de los márgenes bruto, operativo y neto.
Datos financieros puntuales utilizados en el análisis del 2026-09-20.
Datos del historial financiero
Período
Ingresos
EBITDA
Beneficio neto
Flujo de caja operativo
Flujo de caja libre
Capex
Depreciación y amortización
Compensación basada en acciones
Recompras de acciones
Dividendos pagados
Emisión neta de deuda
Flujo de inversión
Flujo de financiación
Efectivo inicial
Efectivo final
Efectivo e inversiones
Deuda total
Margen operativo
ROIC
WACC
Diferencial ROIC−WACC
2016-12-31
10,7 mil M US$
2757,5 M US$
879,9 M US$
1972,1 M US$
1143 M US$
829,1 M US$
494,9 M US$
38,3 M US$
1097,8 M US$
192,4 M US$
—
-1201,7 M US$
-1352 M US$
—
683,5 M US$
985 M US$
9112,4 M US$
19,0 %
—
4,6 %
—
2017-12-31
10,9 mil M US$
2607,9 M US$
663,6 M US$
1913,2 M US$
1007,9 M US$
905,3 M US$
544,1 M US$
35,1 M US$
802,9 M US$
211,5 M US$
—
-1364,7 M US$
-766,3 M US$
683,5 M US$
518,9 M US$
551,8 M US$
9336,2 M US$
16,7 %
—
4,5 %
—
2018-12-31
11,4 mil M US$
2126,9 M US$
159,4 M US$
1771,6 M US$
784,5 M US$
987,1 M US$
574,8 M US$
73,1 M US$
1161,5 M US$
0 US$
—
-1005,6 M US$
-625,4 M US$
518,9 M US$
415,4 M US$
326 M US$
10,1 mil M US$
13,4 %
—
4,0 %
—
2019-12-31
11,4 mil M US$
2254,4 M US$
811 M US$
2072,4 M US$
1305,8 M US$
766,5 M US$
600,9 M US$
67,9 M US$
2383,8 M US$
0 US$
—
2995,3 M US$
-4696,5 M US$
415,4 M US$
1208,7 M US$
1113,9 M US$
11,5 mil M US$
14,4 %
—
4,3 %
—
2020-12-31
11,6 mil M US$
2252,8 M US$
773,6 M US$
1979 M US$
1304,5 M US$
674,5 M US$
616,6 M US$
91,5 M US$
1458,4 M US$
0 US$
—
-825,4 M US$
-1846,8 M US$
1208,7 M US$
501,8 M US$
345,1 M US$
11,6 mil M US$
14,7 %
—
3,4 %
—
2021-12-31
11,6 mil M US$
2484,4 M US$
978,5 M US$
1930,9 M US$
1289,4 M US$
641,5 M US$
667,8 M US$
102,2 M US$
1538,6 M US$
0 US$
—
-784,7 M US$
-1083 M US$
501,8 M US$
555 M US$
484,2 M US$
12 mil M US$
15,5 %
—
3,7 %
—
2022-12-31
11,6 mil M US$
2055,9 M US$
560,4 M US$
1564,6 M US$
961,1 M US$
603,4 M US$
721,1 M US$
95,4 M US$
802,2 M US$
0 US$
-11,3 M US$
-630,3 M US$
-1121,1 M US$
555 M US$
339 M US$
321,8 M US$
11,8 mil M US$
11,5 %
—
5,3 %
—
2023-12-31
12,1 mil M US$
2321,1 M US$
691,5 M US$
2059 M US$
1491 M US$
568 M US$
736,5 M US$
112,4 M US$
272,2 M US$
0 US$
-552,6 M US$
-771,8 M US$
-1170,5 M US$
339 M US$
464,6 M US$
391,7 M US$
11,1 mil M US$
13,2 %
—
5,7 %
—
2024-12-31
12,8 mil M US$
2724,7 M US$
936,3 M US$
2022 M US$
1466,6 M US$
555,4 M US$
716,4 M US$
102,8 M US$
1385,9 M US$
0 US$
1109,1 M US$
-771,4 M US$
-816,9 M US$
464,6 M US$
879,8 M US$
846 M US$
12,1 mil M US$
16,3 %
—
6,4 %
—
2025-12-31
13,6 mil M US$
2642,1 M US$
746,8 M US$
1886,5 M US$
1310,6 M US$
575,9 M US$
708,3 M US$
140 M US$
1308,4 M US$
0 US$
823,4 M US$
-654,9 M US$
-1374,8 M US$
879,8 M US$
757,7 M US$
700,7 M US$
12,9 mil M US$
15,0 %
—
5,2 %
—
§9 Comparación de valoración con pares
Valor razonableReport-date price
DaVita Inc.DVA
Precio / valor razonable
Valor razonable386,49 US$Report-date price183,86 US$
Fecha de evaluación
Ventaja competitivaNarrow
Cuadro de mando de inversión66 / 100
HCA Healthcare Inc.HCA
Precio / valor razonable
Valor razonable504,46 US$Report-date price459,4 US$
Fecha de evaluación
Ventaja competitivaNarrow
Cuadro de mando de inversión62 / 100
The Cooper Companies, Inc.COO
Precio / valor razonable
Valor razonable78,48 US$Report-date price55,29 US$
Fecha de evaluación
Ventaja competitivaNarrow
Cuadro de mando de inversión62 / 100
DaVita Inc.DVA
Precio / valor razonable
Valor razonable386,49 US$Report-date price183,86 US$
DaVita Inc. (DVA) trades at 10.0x forward earnings against a peer median of 12.4x. Its EV/EBITDA of 9.3x compares with a peer median of 10.4x. The comparison uses 4 peers: HCA Healthcare Inc., The Cooper Companies Inc., Universal Health Services Inc. and Biogen Inc., as of 2026-09-19 to 2026-09-20.
Demographic growth in End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patient population
positive
Aging demographics and underlying chronic disease prevalence ensure non-discretionary, growing demand for recurring outpatient dialysis.
Adoption of value-based integrated kidney care models
positive
Value-based arrangements reward comprehensive patient care coordination, improving patient longevity and clinical outcomes.
Commercial payer rate resistance and Medicare Advantage penetration
negative
Posicionamiento
DaVita maintains an entrenched position in US outpatient dialysis with $11,792,944,000 in segment revenue representing 86.44% of consolidated revenue ($13,643,069,000). Its national clinic density provides strong operational insulation from diversified hospital operators like HCA and UHS.5,6
§11 Gestión de posiciónEN
Tamaño de posición
4-5%
Supported by DaVita's entrenched duopoly position, predictable patient demand for life-sustaining kidney care, and strong free cash flow generation of $1.31B.4
Riesgo
Maintain position limits below 6% of total portfolio equity to manage balance sheet leverage risk given $12.87B in total debt. Monitor quarterly debt maturity schedules and refinancing rates.
DaVita trades at a forward P/E of 9.99x on report-date price of $183.86, offering 110.21% upside to Fair value of $386.49 backed by $1.31B in free cash flow.2,4
Quality Compounder
Buy
DaVita delivers an ROIC of 16.39% exceeding its WACC of 6.48%, compounding per-share earnings via an 18.56% share count reduction from FY2023 to FY2025.1,5
Defensive Total Return
Buy
Non-discretionary outpatient dialysis treatment demand provides revenue resilience across economic cycles, generating $1,886,500,000 in operating cash flow to service debt and return capital.5
§14 Recomendación finalEN
Acción
Compra fuerte
We recommend establishing a full position in DaVita Inc. at $183.86 as of September 18, 2026, targeting our Fair value of $386.49 (110.21% upside) with Potential value reaching $490.58.2
The investment thesis is driven by DaVita's entrenched US dialysis duopoly generating $1.31B in annual free cash flow, which management deploys into aggressive share repurchases that compound diluted EPS ahead of low-single-digit revenue growth.
§15Your notes
Capture your own thesis, position size, and follow-up questions. Stays on this device, only you can see it.
Private notes
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0 chars
Sources
The records this analysis drew on, as they stood when it was run.
Not every cited input appears here: internal calculations and intermediate model outputs have no external record, and some citations could not be matched to one.
Debt refinancing shock elevates cost of capital and curtails share repurchases
Total debt of $12,874,331,000 as of FY2025 and $13,406,474,240 at Q2 2026 represents 53.18% of capital structure with current pre-tax cost of debt at 6.11%. A 200 bps increase in refinancing rates above 8.11% pushes WACC from 6.48% toward 8.0%+, impairing DCF equity values.1,2
FV impact
-28.9%
Cost of capital 2 points higher
Trigger
Within 24 months
Terminal multiple de-rating as market reclassifies DaVita from compounder to highly levered low-growth provider
The primary valuation models assume an aggressive terminal exit P/E of 21.5x. DVA currently trades at a forward P/E of 9.99x and peer UHS trades at 7.39x. A 20% multiple contraction below 17.2x directly impairs terminal value across forward_earnings and discounted_earnings.2,3
FV impact
-3.2%
Terminal multiple 20% lower
Trigger
Within 12 months
Actual:$1,310,636,000
Alerta si<$800,000,000
03
pre_tax_cost_of_debt
Refinancing rates rising above 8.11% on $12.87B debt pushes annual interest expense above $600M, directly impairing net earnings.
US dialysis segment revenue growth slowing below 1.0% indicates patient volume losses or severe commercial contracted rate cuts, eroding core earnings power.
Actual:4.19%
Alerta si<1.0%
05
diluted_average_shares
Diluted share count rising above 80M indicates that share repurchases have been discontinued and equity dilution has resumed, breaking the EPS compounding thesis.
Actual:75,885,000
Alerta si>80,000,000
medium
12-24 months
Direct nurse training academies, retention bonuses, and improved clinical scheduling tools.
Limitation: Terminal value is 70.1% of this model's value, above the 60% level at which the methodology flags concentration; the value leans on the years beyond the explicit forecast.
Project EPS through the explicit advantage period, fade growth as competition catches up, and discount the full stream at cost of equity.
Limitation: Terminal value is 61.7% of this model's value, above the 60% level at which the methodology flags concentration; the value leans on the years beyond the explicit forecast.
Limitation: Terminal value is 71.8% of this model's value, above the 60% level at which the methodology flags concentration; the value leans on the years beyond the explicit forecast.
The bull path assumes accelerated expansion in integrated kidney care programs, favorable commercial payer renewals, and enhanced clinical staffing productivity. Accelerated share repurchases compound diluted earnings per share, driving the target to $490.58 with an estimated probability of 20.0% and a return of 166.8% over $183.86.
Por qué importa
Surplus cash after capital spending funds share repurchases and debt reduction; lower cash flow directly restricts buybacks and slows per-share growth.