Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd Grows Stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS)

Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,498 shares of the health services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $1,017,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 37.0% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 667 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $123,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in Universal Health Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its stake in Universal Health Services by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 34,885 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $6,451,000 after purchasing an additional 430 shares in the last quarter. Banco Santander S.A. bought a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the 2nd quarter valued at about $548,000. Finally, AlphaCentric Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the second quarter valued at about $92,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird upgraded Universal Health Services from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $198.00 to $236.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Universal Health Services from $200.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 30th. Stephens reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $200.00 target price on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Thursday, July 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $219.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Monday, August 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 7th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $219.46.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UHS opened at $237.97 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $119.90 and a 12 month high of $238.26. The company has a market capitalization of $15.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.17, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.28. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $204.65 and its 200 day moving average is $185.36.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The health services provider reported $4.31 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.37 by $0.94. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 6.22%. The firm had revenue of $3.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.87 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.53 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.89 EPS for the current year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.34%. Universal Health Services’s payout ratio is 6.78%.

Universal Health Services declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, July 24th that permits the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the health services provider to reacquire up to 8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Universal Health Services

In other news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,444 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.64, for a total value of $749,552.16. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,971 shares in the company, valued at $864,248.44. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other Universal Health Services news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,444 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.64, for a total value of $749,552.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 3,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $864,248.44. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Nina Chen-Langenmayr sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.11, for a total transaction of $180,293.50. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,985 shares in the company, valued at $421,038.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 21,970 shares of company stock worth $4,653,535. 16.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Universal Health Services Company 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.