Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) Shares Gap Up – What’s Next?

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS)’s share price gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $151.27, but opened at $158.98. Universal Health Services shares last traded at $161.1570, with a volume of 130,954 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on UHS shares. Guggenheim decreased their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $211.00 to $195.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $233.00 to $212.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $205.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Mizuho cut their price target on Universal Health Services from $267.00 to $230.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Universal Health Services from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $213.73.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $150.58 and its 200-day moving average price is $179.85. The stock has a market cap of $9.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.08.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The health services provider reported $5.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.41 by $0.21. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.56% and a return on equity of 19.57%. The company had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.39 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.84 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 23.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3.33%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC boosted its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 48,425 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $7,200,000 after buying an additional 5,624 shares during the last quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 0.7% during the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 14,900 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $2,215,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 69.2% during the second quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,217 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $330,000 after acquiring an additional 907 shares during the period. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC lifted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 7.0% during the second quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC now owns 2,402 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $357,000 after acquiring an additional 157 shares during the period. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Universal Health Services by 503.1% in the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 193 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

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.