Brokerages Set Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) PT at $212.88

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the seventeen analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $214.80.

UHS has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $205.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price 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. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $238.00 to $211.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Barclays cut shares of Universal Health Services from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $179.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on Universal Health Services from $261.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 29th.

Universal Health Services Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE UHS opened at $151.41 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The business has a 50-day moving average of $152.40 and a 200-day moving average of $181.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.31, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.07. Universal Health Services has a 12 month low of $140.08 and a 12 month high of $246.32.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The health services provider reported $5.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.41 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.39 billion. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.56% and a return on equity of 19.57%. Universal Health Services’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.84 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Universal Health Services will post 23.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio is 3.33%.

Institutional Trading of Universal Health Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC increased its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 13.1% during the second quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC now owns 48,425 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $7,200,000 after buying an additional 5,624 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its stake in Universal Health Services by 0.7% in the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 14,900 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $2,215,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in Universal Health Services by 69.2% in the second quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,217 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $330,000 after purchasing an additional 907 shares in the last quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC raised its holdings in Universal Health Services by 7.0% in the second quarter. Chesley Taft & Associates LLC now owns 2,402 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $357,000 after purchasing an additional 157 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Universal Health Services by 503.1% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 193 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

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.