StockNews.com Downgrades Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) to Buy

by · The Markets Daily

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS – Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday.

UHS has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays upgraded shares of Universal Health Services from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $198.00 to $256.00 in a report on Friday, July 26th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Friday. They set a “sector weight” rating on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on Universal Health Services from $247.00 to $267.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 14th. Baird R W upgraded shares of Universal Health Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Finally, Stephens restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $224.92.

View Our Latest Analysis on Universal Health Services

Universal Health Services Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of Universal Health Services stock traded up $1.49 during trading on Friday, hitting $214.39. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 420,642 shares, compared to its average volume of 659,612. Universal Health Services has a 52 week low of $119.90 and a 52 week high of $243.25. The company has a market capitalization of $14.30 billion, a PE ratio of 15.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $227.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $197.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.28.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The health services provider reported $4.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.37 by $0.94. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 6.22%. The business had revenue of $3.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.87 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.53 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Universal Health Services will post 15.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Health Services announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, July 24th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the health services provider to reacquire up to 8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Health Services

In other Universal Health Services news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,444 shares of Universal Health Services stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.64, for a total value of $749,552.16. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $864,248.44. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,444 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.64, for a total transaction of $749,552.16. Following the transaction, the director now owns 3,971 shares in the company, valued at $864,248.44. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Matthew Jay Peterson sold 15,141 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.85, for a total transaction of $3,192,479.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,107,595.05. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 21,970 shares of company stock valued at $4,653,535. 16.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 1,284.6% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 180 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal Health Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services during the first quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services during the first quarter valued at $36,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Universal Health Services

(Get Free Report)

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.

Featured Articles