Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS – Get Rating) had its price target reduced by Wells Fargo & Company from $154.00 to $138.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning, The Fly reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an equal weight rating on the health services provider’s stock.
Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Universal Health Services from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, December 23rd. Bank of America upgraded Universal Health Services from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and upped their price target for the stock from $120.00 to $145.00 in a research note on Friday, December 16th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Universal Health Services from $114.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Barclays upped their target price on Universal Health Services from $115.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Monday, January 9th. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of Universal Health Services from a sell rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $113.00 to $167.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $131.29.
Universal Health Services Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE UHS opened at $125.94 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 1.21. Universal Health Services has a one year low of $82.50 and a one year high of $158.28. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $144.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $122.78. The company has a market capitalization of $8.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 1.25.
Universal Health Services Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 28th. Universal Health Services’s payout ratio is currently 8.74%.
Insider Activity at Universal Health Services
In related news, Director Lawrence S. Gibbs sold 1,568 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.29, for a total transaction of $201,158.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,023 shares in the company, valued at approximately $387,820.67. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 15.40% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services
Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 9.0% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 10,079 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,461,000 after buying an additional 828 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 11,674 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,691,000 after buying an additional 181 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 22.9% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 19,853 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $2,878,000 after buying an additional 3,699 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 9,784 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,418,000 after buying an additional 606 shares during the period. Finally, BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,026,512 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $728,594,000 after buying an additional 113,259 shares during the period. 87.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Universal Health Services Company Profile
Universal Health Services, Inc operates as a healthcare management company, which through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals, behavioral health centers, and outpatient facilities. It operates through the following segments: Acute Care Hospital Services, Behavioral Health Care Services, and Other.
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