Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Buys 192,351 Shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 12.1% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,781,262 shares of the health services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 192,351 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $318,812,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Pzena Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Universal Health Services by 31.5% in the fourth quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 2,112,604 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $460,590,000 after purchasing an additional 505,575 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 7.1% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,206,000 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $262,932,000 after purchasing an additional 80,236 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth $199,334,000. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 59.5% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 871,377 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $189,978,000 after buying an additional 325,162 shares during the period. Finally, LSV Asset Management increased its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 756,922 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $165,024,000 after buying an additional 4,136 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

UHS opened at $149.35 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $151.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $180.50. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $140.08 and a 1 year high of $246.32. The company has a market capitalization of $9.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.22, a P/E/G ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The health services provider reported $5.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.41 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.39 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.57% and a net margin of 8.56%.Universal Health Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.84 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 23.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio is 3.33%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on UHS. Wall Street Zen downgraded Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Stephens lowered their price target on Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $205.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Universal Health Services from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Universal Health Services from $267.00 to $230.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Universal Health Services from $216.00 to $190.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $213.73.

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.