Wall Street Zen Upgrades Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) to Buy

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Sunday.

UHS has been the topic of a number of other reports. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $262.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Universal Health Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $251.00 to $245.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $212.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $232.21.

Universal Health Services Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of Universal Health Services stock opened at $182.75 on Friday. Universal Health Services has a 12-month low of $152.33 and a 12-month high of $246.32. The company has a market cap of $11.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.89, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $201.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $211.50.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The health services provider reported $5.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.92 by ($0.04). Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.65% and a net margin of 8.57%.The firm had revenue of $4.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.92 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Universal Health Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 22.640-24.520 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Universal Health Services will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Health Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 320.0% during the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 126 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Founders Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Universal Health Services

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.