Cerity Partners LLC Sells 252 Shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS)

Cerity Partners LLC lowered its position in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 1.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,594 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 252 shares during the quarter. Cerity Partners LLC’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $2,072,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bessemer Group Inc. grew its stake in Universal Health Services by 76.4% in the fourth quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 187 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Universal Health Services by 45.4% during the 1st quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 253 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Universal Health Services by 42.8% during the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 267 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. PCA Investment Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 2nd quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its position in Universal Health Services by 33.3% during the 1st quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 400 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on UHS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Universal Health Services from $144.00 to $182.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 13th. UBS Group increased their target price on Universal Health Services from $152.00 to $177.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Barclays started coverage on Universal Health Services in a research report on Wednesday, March 6th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $181.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Universal Health Services from $170.00 to $189.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Universal Health Services from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Universal Health Services presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $179.71.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Steve Filton sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.82, for a total value of $6,188,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 68,785 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,162,563.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 16.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of UHS stock opened at $157.39 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 1.29. The business has a fifty day moving average of $170.40 and a 200 day moving average of $152.01. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $119.90 and a 1 year high of $183.61.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The health services provider reported $3.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.02 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $3.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.66 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 12.08% and a net margin of 5.03%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $3.02 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 13.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Health Services Profile

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.