NHI vs NSA Stock Comparison
Compare NHI and NSA across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between NHI and NSA?
NHI leads the current stock comparison as National Health Investors, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
National Health Investors, Inc. vs National Storage Affiliates Trust
NHI leads
NHI leads by 5 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Risk Resilience, but the lead has narrowed from 10 points over 30 sessions.
Fragile: 4 of 6 evidence groups support NHI, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.
National Health Investors, Inc.
National Storage Affiliates Trust
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors NHI over NSA, 46 versus 41 as of Sep 11, 2026. NHI's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and risk resilience, while NSA holds the stronger value profile. NHI also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor NHI today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 5 points. NHI lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 10 to 5 points over 30 sessions.
Compare National Health Investors, Inc. and National Storage Affiliates Trust across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare NHI and NSA against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality58 vs 23NHI +35
- Value48 vs 59NSA +11
- Risk Resilience52 vs 43NHI +9
4 of 6 evidence groups favor NHI. NHI’s edge is concentrated in quality and risk resilience; NSA keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
No factor moved materially.
No new signals fired.
No factor moved materially.
No new signals fired.
NHI's lead was unchanged in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — NHI and NSA both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
NHI (National Health Investors, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and risk resilience.
NSA (National Storage Affiliates Trust): the counter-case, on value, valuation, technicals — but at materially higher volatility, 24.5% against 17.1%.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
NHINHI on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
NHINHI on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
NSANSA on the peer-relative Value factor, by 11 points.
Momentum
EvenThe two are level on Momentum.
Lower downside
NHINHI on Risk Resilience, by 9 points.
Analyst upside
NHINHI on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | NHI | NSA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +14.9% | +0.9% | NHI has more room |
| Target dispersion | +9.9% | +11.4% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 4 | 4 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor NHI. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | NHI | 46 vs 41 |
| Fundamentals | NHI | EPS growth 38.6% vs -33.3%; TTM ROE 11% vs 8.2%; gross margin 64.7% vs 33.9%; operating margin 45.4% vs 37.6% |
| Valuation | NSA | Value 48 vs 59 |
| Technicals | NSA | Price vs 50-day -6.2% vs -1.3%; vs 200-day -10.4% vs 20.2% |
| Risk Resilience | NHI | Risk Resilience 52 vs 43 |
| Analyst expectations | NHI | Target upside 14.9% vs 0.9% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of NHI and NSA and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 5 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on NHI.
How the comparison changed
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10NHI lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 10 to 5 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- NHI +5
- 46 vs 41
- 7 sessions ago
- NHI +5
- 46 vs 41
- 30 sessions ago
- NHI +10
- 49 vs 39
- 90 sessions ago
- NHI +13
- 59 vs 46
The lead changed hands 3 times in this window, most recently on Jun 16 when NHI moved ahead of NSA.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (4.56%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
No active signals
NHI leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.16%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1NSA closes the Quality gap — currently 35 points behind, the largest single contributor to NHI's edge.
- 2NSA generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as Golden Cross Active or MACD Bullish Crossover.
- 3NHI's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 4 bearish rules at once.
- 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 5 points over 30 sessions, and a further 5-point move would eliminate NHI's advantage entirely.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
NHI leads on balance| Metric | NHI | NSA |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 4.7% | -0.9% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 38.6% | -33.3% |
| Gross margin | 64.7% | 33.9% |
| Operating margin | 45.4% | 37.6% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 11% | 8.2% |
| Debt to equity | 0.82 | 3.77 |
Performance
NSA leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | NHI | NSA |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -1.8% | -3% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -0.7% | -3% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -3.5% | -1% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -17.6% | 28.4% |
| Year to date | -8.1% | 53.9% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -10.5% | 38.3% |
Technicals
NSA has the stronger structure| Metric | NHI | NSA |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 28.4 | 44.1 |
| ADX (14) | 32.4 | 12.7 |
| Price vs 50-day | -6.2% | -1.3% |
| Price vs 200-day | -10.4% | 20.2% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 17.1% | 24.5% |
Risk
NHI is the more resilient| Metric | NHI | NSA |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | -0.32 | 0.67 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.52 | 1.04 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.7 | 2.61 |
| Max drawdown | -24.9% | -17.3% |
| Current drawdown | -22.9% | -5.7% |
| Annualized volatility | 23.6% | 40.3% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -2.1% | -2.4% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, NHI or NSA?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, NHI is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 46 against NSA's 41. The edge comes from quality and risk resilience. NSA is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is NHI or NSA the better buy right now?
NHI carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 5 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor NHI over NSA?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. NHI leads Quality by 35 points; NSA leads Value by 11 points; NHI leads Risk Resilience by 9 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, NHI or NSA?
Analyst price targets imply +14.9% upside for NHI and +0.9% for NSA, so the Street currently favors NHI. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, NHI or NSA?
NSA is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. NSA on the peer-relative Value factor, by 11 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, NHI or NSA?
NHI on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, NHI or NSA?
The two are level on Momentum. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, NHI or NSA?
NHI is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. NHI on Risk Resilience, by 9 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is NHI more profitable than NSA?
NHI leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 64.7% vs 33.9%; operating margin 45.4% vs 37.6%; ttm roe 11% vs 8.2%.
Is NHI's lead over NSA getting stronger or weaker?
NHI lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 10 to 5 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands 3 times in that window, most recently on 2026-06-16, when NHI moved ahead of NSA.
What would change the NHI vs NSA verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: NSA closes the Quality gap — currently 35 points behind, the largest single contributor to NHI's edge; NSA generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as Golden Cross Active or MACD Bullish Crossover; NHI's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 4 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 5 points over 30 sessions, and a further 5-point move would eliminate NHI's advantage entirely.
What do the current signals say about NHI and NSA?
NHI: 1 bullish / 4 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. NSA: No active signals. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on NHI is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare NHI and NSA with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.