AlphaQuest LLC Acquires 3,582 Shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

AlphaQuest LLC boosted its stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 88.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,622 shares of the health services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,582 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $1,558,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 34.9% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 68,501 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $13,941,000 after purchasing an additional 17,728 shares during the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Universal Health Services during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,359,000. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. lifted its stake in Universal Health Services by 36.0% in the third quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 54,960 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $11,236,000 after acquiring an additional 14,536 shares during the period. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services in the 3rd quarter worth about $961,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 66.1% in the third quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 42,198 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $8,627,000 after buying an additional 16,789 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,817 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.30, for a total value of $852,336.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 8,481 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,893,807.30. This trade represents a 31.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 16.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UHS has been the subject of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley set a $233.00 price objective on Universal Health Services in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Universal Health Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 27th. Barclays dropped their price target on Universal Health Services from $263.00 to $262.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $234.13.

Universal Health Services Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of UHS stock opened at $201.17 on Friday. 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 stock has a market cap of $12.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.56, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.28. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $152.33 and a 52 week high of $246.32. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $219.56 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $203.01.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

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

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.