Acadia Healthcare (ACHC) Risk Analysis

The market price of our common stock could decline as a result of sales by us or our existing stockholders, particularly our largest stockholders, our directors and executive officers, in the market, or the perception that these sales could occur. These sales might also make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities at a time and price that we deem appropriate.

The market price of our common stock has been, and may continue to be, volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to our operating results, quarter to quarter earnings, the risk factors described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other factors outside of our control. The stock markets experience volatility, in some cases unrelated to operating performance. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock and, as a result, there may be significant volatility in the market price of our common stock. If we are unable to operate our facilities as profitably as we have in the past or as our investors expect us to in the future, the market price of our common stock will likely decline when it becomes apparent that the market expectations may not be realized. In addition to our operating results, many economic and other factors outside of our control could have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock and increase fluctuations in our quarterly earnings. These factors include certain of the risks discussed herein, outcomes of political elections, demographic changes, operating results of other healthcare companies, changes in our financial estimates or recommendations of securities analysts, speculation in the press or investment community, the possible effects of war, terrorist and other hostilities, adverse weather conditions, climate change, the impact of a pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of an infectious disease, managed care contract negotiations and terminations, changes in general conditions in the economy or the financial markets or other developments affecting the healthcare industry. Some companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock, including us, have been subject to securities class action litigation. We have been the target of this type of litigation and may continue to be a target in the future. Securities litigation against us has, and could in the future, result in substantial costs and divert our management's attention from other business concerns, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. For example, during the year ended December 31, 2025, we incurred $147.5 million of settlement expense for the 2019 Securities Litigation (as described in more detail in Note 11 - Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements). Our stock could be the target of short sellers who may seek to drive down the price of shares by disseminating negative reports or information about us. Such negative publicity may lead to additional public scrutiny or may cause further volatility in our stock price, a decline in the value of a stockholder's investment in us or reputational harm. Volatility in our stock price also impacts the value of our equity compensation, which affects our ability to recruit and retain employees. Accordingly, substantial or sustained stock price declines could have a material adverse impact on stockholder confidence and employee recruiting and retention.

Provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. This is because these provisions may prevent or frustrate attempts by stockholders to replace or remove our management. These provisions include: - a classified board of directors, that will not be fully declassified until 2029;- a prohibition on stockholder action through written consent;- a requirement that special meetings of stockholders be called only upon a resolution approved by a majority of our directors then in office;- advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and nominations; and - the authority of the board of directors to issue preferred stock with such terms as the board of directors may determine. Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL") prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder, generally a person that together with its affiliates owns or within the last three years has owned 15% of voting stock, for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. Although we have elected not to be subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions that have the same effect as Section 203, except that they provide that Waud Capital Partners, L.L.C. ("WCP"), its affiliates and any investment fund managed by WCP will be deemed to have been approved by our board of directors, and thereby not subject to the restrictions set forth in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that have the same effect as Section 203 of the DGCL. Accordingly, the provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation that adopts a modified version of Section 203 of the DGCL may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of us. As a result of these provisions in our charter documents and Delaware law, the price investors may be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock may be limited.