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

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the seventeen analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have assigned a hold recommendation, six have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $234.20.

Several research firms have issued reports on UHS. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $250.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Mizuho set a $242.00 price objective on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 11th.

Insider Activity

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UHS. Stephens Inc. AR lifted its position in Universal Health Services by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 1,250 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $256,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated raised its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 1.5% in the third quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 3,512 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $718,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 3.3% during the third quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,794 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $367,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Avanza Fonder AB boosted its position in Universal Health Services by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. Avanza Fonder AB now owns 1,027 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $224,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 22.9% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 354 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of UHS stock opened at $199.80 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $12.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.49, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.28. Universal Health Services has a 52-week low of $152.33 and a 52-week high of $246.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The company’s 50 day moving average is $224.40 and its 200 day moving average is $201.89.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The health services provider reported $5.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.66 by $1.03. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.47% and a net margin of 8.09%.The business had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.32 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.71 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Universal Health Services will post 15.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

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

About Universal Health Services

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.