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

Shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the eighteen research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $204.94.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on UHS shares. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Monday, August 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Universal Health Services from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Universal Health Services from $212.00 to $191.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Guggenheim reduced their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $195.00 to $189.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Leerink Partners raised their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $198.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, September 18th.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

NYSE UHS opened at $175.30 on Friday. Universal Health Services has a 1 year low of $140.08 and a 1 year high of $246.32. The business’s fifty day moving average is $172.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $166.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.12.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The health services provider reported $5.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.94 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $4.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.39% and a net margin of 8.42%.The company’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $5.35 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Universal Health Services will post 22.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st were given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 1st. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio is 3.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UHS. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Universal Health Services by 503.1% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 193 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co boosted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 107.1% in the first quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 174 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 54.7% in the fourth quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 212 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. South Plains Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter valued at $47,000. Finally, Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter valued at $68,000. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Universal Health Services

Universal Health Services, Inc (NYSE: UHS) is a diversified healthcare services company that owns and operates hospitals, outpatient centers, and other healthcare facilities. Its operations are organized primarily around acute care hospitals and behavioral health services.

The company’s acute care facilities provide services such as general hospital care, emergency medicine, surgery, imaging, women’s health, and specialized treatment programs. Its behavioral health facilities offer inpatient and outpatient care for mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and related behavioral health needs.