Analysts Set Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Price Target at $232.21

Shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) have received a consensus rating of “Hold” from the sixteen research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have given a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $232.2143.

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on UHS shares. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $253.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $251.00 to $245.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $262.00 to $268.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Pzena Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 505,575 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in Universal Health Services by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,588,911 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $346,447,000 after acquiring an additional 94,447 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in Universal Health Services by 11.1% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,461,198 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $264,696,000 after purchasing an additional 145,730 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in Universal Health Services by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,206,000 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $262,932,000 after purchasing an additional 80,236 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 926,669 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $167,866,000 after purchasing an additional 31,201 shares during the period. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Universal Health Services

Here are the key news stories impacting Universal Health Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UHS agreed to acquire Talkspace for $5.25/share (~$835M enterprise value), expanding its digital behavioral‑health footprint and adding teletherapy capabilities that can boost revenue mix and referral channels; the deal is being financed with borrowings under UHS’s revolver (modest size relative to UHS’s market cap). Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) Announces Agreement to Acquire Talkspace (TALK) for $5.25 Per Share
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised several near‑term and FY2026 EPS estimates (including Q1 2026, Q3 2026, Q4 2026 and FY2026), signaling slightly stronger near‑term earnings momentum than prior forecasts—supportive for near‑term sentiment despite the analyst holding a “Hold” rating. MarketBeat UHS coverage (Zacks note)
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published FY2028 estimates (FY2028 EPS ~ $26.80) and refreshed a slate of multi‑year forecasts; these provide longer‑term modeling inputs but no rating change, so impact is informational. MarketBeat UHS coverage (FY2028 estimate)
• Neutral Sentiment: UHS also attracted attention in S&P 500 healthcare coverage pieces today (coverage/flow can amplify intraday moves but doesn’t change fundamentals). Universal Health (NYSE:UHS) Gains Attention In S&P 500 Today Healthcare
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed several 2027 quarter and full‑year EPS estimates (Q2–Q4 2027 and FY2027 were lowered modestly), which could temper medium‑term sentiment and suggests some caution in later‑year growth expectations. MarketBeat UHS coverage (Zacks estimate cuts)

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of UHS stock opened at $190.54 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.23, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.26. Universal Health Services has a 1-year low of $152.33 and a 1-year high of $246.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $210.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $211.58.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The health services provider reported $5.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.92 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $4.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.50 billion. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.57% and a return on equity of 19.65%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $4.92 EPS. Universal Health Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 22.640-24.520 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Universal Health Services will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Universal Health Services’s payout ratio is currently 3.46%.

Universal Health Services Company 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.