Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Hold” by the sixteen ratings firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $234.1429.

Several analysts have commented on the stock. UBS Group set a $231.00 target price on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Raymond James Financial set a $270.00 price objective on Universal Health Services and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Universal Health Services in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $219.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research upgraded Universal Health Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Universal Health Services from $249.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th.

Universal Health Services Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE UHS opened at $227.08 on Thursday. Universal Health Services has a 1 year low of $152.33 and a 1 year high of $246.32. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $225.01 and its 200-day moving average is $197.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.19 billion, a PE ratio of 10.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.27.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The health services provider reported $5.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.66 by $1.03. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.09% and a return on equity of 19.47%. The business had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.32 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.71 earnings per share. Universal Health Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Universal Health Services will post 15.92 EPS for the current year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Universal Health Services’s payout ratio is currently 3.80%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Health Services

In other Universal Health Services news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,817 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.30, for a total value of $852,336.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,481 shares in the company, valued at $1,893,807.30. This represents a 31.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Elliot J. Md Mba Sussman sold 965 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.70, for a total value of $217,800.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 6,113 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,379,704.10. This represents a 13.63% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 16.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Universal Health Services by 16.6% during the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 10,029 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,851,000 after purchasing an additional 1,430 shares during the last quarter. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $961,000. Capital Fund Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 12.9% in the 2nd quarter. Capital Fund Management S.A. now owns 94,086 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $17,044,000 after buying an additional 10,754 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 102.4% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,820 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $873,000 after buying an additional 2,438 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Universal Health Services during the second quarter worth $1,283,000. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Health Services Company Profile

Universal Health Services, Inc (NYSE: UHS) is one of the largest diversified health care management companies in the United States, offering a broad spectrum of services through its acute care hospital and behavioral health segments. The company operates general acute care hospitals, surgical hospitals and ambulatory centers, as well as inpatient and outpatient behavioral health facilities. Its network provides emergency and specialized medicine, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, advanced surgical care and rehabilitation, complemented by a comprehensive array of behavioral services including psychiatric treatment, addiction programs and developmental disabilities care.

In the acute care segment, UHS’s facilities deliver services ranging from emergency department treatment and intensive care to maternity care and outpatient surgery.