Universal Health Services’ (UHS) “Equal Weight” Rating Reaffirmed at Stephens

Stephens reissued their equal weight rating on shares of Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) in a research report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. Stephens currently has a $210.00 price target on the health services provider’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $228.00 to $198.00 in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $285.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 25th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $271.00 to $249.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $223.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $275.00 to $251.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 26th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Universal Health Services currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $225.29.

Universal Health Services Stock Up 2.9 %

Universal Health Services stock opened at $185.26 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Universal Health Services has a 1-year low of $152.68 and a 1-year high of $243.25. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $184.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $205.32. The company has a market cap of $12.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.30.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $4.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.21 by $0.71. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 15.75% and a net margin of 6.66%. The company had revenue of $4.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.01 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Universal Health Services will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.43%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Health Services

In other Universal Health Services news, Director Maria Ruderman Singer sold 1,614 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.15, for a total value of $308,516.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 5,879 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,123,770.85. The trade was a 21.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 16.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Health Services

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in Universal Health Services during the third quarter worth $39,000. Quent Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 118.3% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 179 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 414.3% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 180 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Campbell Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the 4th quarter worth $46,000. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Universal Health Services

Universal Health Services, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals, and outpatient and behavioral health care facilities. It operates through Acute Care Hospital Services and Behavioral Health Care Services segments. The company's hospitals offer general and specialty surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic and coronary care, pediatric services, pharmacy services, and/or behavioral health services.