BTC Capital Management Inc. Boosts Stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

BTC Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 161.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 42,199 shares of the health services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 26,047 shares during the period. BTC Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $9,203,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Pzena Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 310.2% in the third quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 1,607,029 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $328,541,000 after acquiring an additional 1,215,286 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $83,333,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Universal Health Services by 100.6% during the 2nd quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 2,560 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $464,000 after purchasing an additional 426,211 shares in the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 262.4% during the 3rd quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 358,885 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $73,370,000 after purchasing an additional 259,861 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Varenne Capital Partners purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,670,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on UHS shares. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Universal Health Services from $251.00 to $245.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $212.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $253.00 to $274.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $262.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $232.21.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

UHS opened at $178.69 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $10.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.72 and a beta of 1.26. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $152.33 and a fifty-two week high of $246.32. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $205.18 and its 200 day moving average price is $212.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The health services provider reported $5.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.92 by ($0.04). Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.65% and a net margin of 8.57%.The business had revenue of $4.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.50 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.92 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. Universal Health Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 22.640-24.520 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd were issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3.46%.

Universal Health Services 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.