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Addus HomeCare Corp (ADUS)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 2025 delivered broad-based outperformance: net service revenue rose 25.0% to $362.3M, adjusted EPS reached $1.56, and adjusted EBITDA increased 31.6% to $45.1M; both revenue and EPS were modest beats vs Wall Street consensus, supporting a constructive setup into Q4 . Versus consensus: revenue $362.3M vs $354.5M estimate (+$7.8M), EPS $1.56 vs $1.53 estimate (+$0.02) [Values retrieved from S&P Global]*.
- Personal Care drove the quarter (76.1% of revenue) with 6.6% organic growth aided by a 9.9% Texas rate increase effective 9/1 and stable hiring; Hospice posted 19.0% organic growth on admissions and ADC strength; Home Health remained a small, complementary service with revenue down 2.8% organically .
- Management guided to seasonal margin strength in Q4: gross margin tailwinds (
+40 bps from hospice rate update) and lower unemployment taxes (+20 bps), with adjusted EBITDA margin expected to be ≥13% (vs ~12.5% in Q3), underpinning near-term estimate support . - Capital and M&A remain catalysts: Del Cielo Personal Care acquisition closed 10/1 ($12.5M annualized revenue), Helping Hands closed 8/1, net leverage under 1x adjusted EBITDA, and ample revolver capacity ($650M) to pursue further tuck-ins, particularly in Texas PCS and overlapping clinical markets .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- PCS growth and funding tailwinds: “Our personal care business was the key driver… with 6.6% organic revenue growth… including a recent 9.9% rate increase in Texas effective September 1, 2025” . Personal Care revenue reached $275.8M (76.1% of total) .
- Hospice momentum with improved cap cushion: “Hospice… has continued to improve… with solid 19.0% organic revenue growth driven by increases in admissions, ADC, patient days and revenue per patient day” and no additional cap liability accrued in Q3 .
- Strong cash generation and collections: Operating cash flow of $51.3M in Q3; DSOs improved to 35 days overall and 32.5 days for Illinois DoA, supporting debt paydown and flexibility .
What Went Wrong
- Home Health softness and regulatory uncertainty: Same-store Home Health revenue fell 2.8% YoY; CMS proposed a 6.4% Medicare payment reduction for CY2026, tempering M&A appetite until rates are finalized .
- Sequential gross margin drift: Gross margin declined to 32.2% from 32.6% in Q2, attributed primarily to one extra holiday in the quarter .
- Higher net interest expense YoY: Net interest expense was $2.6M in Q3 2025 vs a net benefit in Q3 2024, reflecting higher debt costs despite ongoing deleveraging .
Financial Results
Quarterly Financials and Margins
Results vs Wall Street Consensus (S&P Global)
Values retrieved from S&P Global*
Segment Net Service Revenue
Operating KPIs
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- Dirk Allison: “Our third quarter results reflect the continued strong momentum… with net service revenues up 25.0% and adjusted EBITDA up 31.6% over the third quarter of 2024… favorable demand trends… value and cost benefits of home-based healthcare services” .
- Allison on segments: “Our personal care business was the key driver… 76.1% of revenues… 6.6% organic revenue growth… 9.9% rate increase in Texas… Hospice accounted for 19.0% of revenue… has continued to improve… Home health represents our smallest business segment… integral part of our strategy to offer three levels of home-based care” .
- Brian Poff: “Adjusted EBITDA margin was 12.5%… Looking ahead… expect normal seasonality in Q4 with Hospice reimbursement update to benefit gross margin by ~40 bps and ~20 bps sequential from lower unemployment taxes… tax rate mid-20%” .
- Allison on strategy: “We have a strong competitive advantage with a proven and scalable operating model and the ability to offer the full continuum of home-based care in select markets” .
Q&A Highlights
- Caregiver App and utilization: Rollout in IL boosting fill rates; expansion to NM and TX expected to improve hours served; over one-third of PCS same-store revenue growth in Q3 came from billable hours increases .
- Margin trajectory and Q4 setup: Management affirmed typical Q4 seasonality with adjusted EBITDA margin ≥13% and gross margin support from hospice rate update and lower unemployment taxes .
- Home Health outlook and M&A: Proposed -6.4% CY2026 rate cuts depress deal appetite; company will focus on small overlapping opportunities; maintaining discipline with potential larger 2026 opportunities .
- Hospice cap and revenue per patient day: No cap accrual in Q3; sequential benefit to revenue per patient day; balanced referral mix improvements continue .
- Payers/Medicaid under OBRA: Addus positioning PCS as cost-saving vs institutional care through VBC protocols (lower ER, readmits, SNF costs), advocating for support in state budgets .
Estimates Context
- Q3 2025 results were slight beats vs consensus: revenue $362.3M vs $354.5M estimate; EPS $1.56 vs $1.53 estimate. Tailwinds (TX +9.9% PCS rate, hospice +3.1% reimbursement, stable hiring) and Q4 margin comments likely bias near-term EPS revisions upward . Consensus data from S&P Global*.
- Forward quarters: Q4 2025 consensus revenue $372.9M; EPS $1.72*. Management’s ≥13% adjusted EBITDA margin commentary and gross margin tailwinds could support modest EPS upside if execution holds . Values retrieved from S&P Global*.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Mix-led resilience: PCS funding (TX +9.9%; IL +3.9% in 2026) and stable hiring underpin volume and pricing; Hospice showing sustained organic strength, offsetting Home Health uncertainty .
- Near-term margin upside: Q4 seasonal pattern plus hospice rate update and lower unemployment taxes set the stage for ≥13% adjusted EBITDA margin in Q4, a constructive backdrop for tactical longs into earnings season .
- Cash flow and balance sheet optionality: Strong OCF ($51.3M) and net leverage <1x adjusted EBITDA provide capacity for continued tuck-in M&A, particularly in PCS-heavy states like Texas .
- Strategy execution: Overlapping PCS/Home Health/Hospice footprint is driving internal referrals (e.g., 25%+ of hospice admissions in NM/TN from Home Health), supporting structurally higher hospice growth .
- Regulatory watch: CY2026 Home Health proposed cuts are an external overhang; company remains cautious on larger Home Health deals pending clarity, limiting near-term clinical M&A risk .
- Technology leverage: Caregiver App and EMR unification (Homecare Homebase) aim to improve utilization and enable cross-level care “bridging,” potentially enhancing PCS volumes and referral efficiency over time .
- Valuation catalysts: Continued organic growth, visible Q4 margin lift, and accretive PCS tuck-ins (low multiples) in Texas/other states are near-term stock drivers; monitor PCS rate actions and hospice reimbursement updates for upside signals .
Notes: Consensus values marked with an asterisk are from S&P Global and do not carry document citations.