AustralianSuper Pty Ltd Raises Stock Holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

AustralianSuper Pty Ltd raised its position in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 225,038 shares of the health services provider’s stock after buying an additional 10,548 shares during the period. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd owned about 0.35% of Universal Health Services worth $46,007,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the third quarter worth about $28,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Quent Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the third quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 347.6% during the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 188 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

UHS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $251.00 to $245.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 11th. Guggenheim boosted their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $253.00 to $274.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $270.00 price objective on shares of Universal Health Services and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 3rd. One research 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 issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Health Services has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $234.13.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UHS opened at $202.56 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $220.68 and a 200-day moving average price of $202.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The company has a market capitalization of $12.66 billion, a PE ratio of 9.62, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.28. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $152.33 and a 1-year high of $246.32.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The health services provider reported $5.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.66 by $1.03. The company had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.32 billion. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.09% and a return on equity of 19.47%. Universal Health Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.71 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Health Services

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

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.