Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) Shares Gap Up Following Strong Earnings

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) gapped up prior to trading on Thursday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $165.90, but opened at $174.95. Universal Health Services shares last traded at $162.90, with a volume of 332,525 shares.

The health services provider reported $3.70 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.14 by $0.56. The firm had revenue of $3.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.78 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 12.08% and a net margin of 5.03%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 10.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.34 earnings per share.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UHS has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $170.00 to $193.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $140.00 to $181.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 1st. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Universal Health Services from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. Barclays initiated coverage on Universal Health Services in a report on Wednesday, March 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $181.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Universal Health Services from $170.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $180.07.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Universal Health Services news, CFO Steve Filton sold 35,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $176.82, for a total value of $6,188,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 68,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,162,563.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 16.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 11.4% during the 1st quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 624 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $114,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd boosted its stake in Universal Health Services by 0.5% during the first quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 12,776 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $2,331,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,070 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $163,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 42.8% in the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 267 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 34.8% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 360 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Stock Down 0.5 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $170.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $153.10. The company has a market capitalization of $11.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.09, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.24.

About Universal Health Services

Universal Health Services, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals, and outpatient and behavioral health care facilities. It operates through Acute Care Hospital Services and Behavioral Health Care Services segments. The company's hospitals offer general and specialty surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic and coronary care, pediatric services, pharmacy services, and/or behavioral health services.