Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC Makes New $2.36 Million Investment in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS)

Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor bought 13,170 shares of the health services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,363,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Financial Management Professionals Inc. bought a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. Huntington National Bank raised its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 414.3% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 180 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its position in Universal Health Services by 41.8% during the 2nd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 251 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sentry Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services in the third quarter worth about $64,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Universal Health Services news, Director Maria Ruderman Singer sold 1,614 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.15, for a total value of $308,516.10. Following 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 16.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UHS has been the topic of several recent research reports. KeyCorp started coverage on Universal Health Services in a research report on Friday, October 11th. They set a “sector weight” rating on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $219.00 target price on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $226.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. StockNews.com cut shares of Universal Health Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 9th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price objective 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. Seven equities research 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $226.14.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

UHS opened at $185.65 on Monday. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $152.68 and a 52-week high of $243.25. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $188.65 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $207.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $12.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.34, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.30.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The health services provider reported $3.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.75 by ($0.04). Universal Health Services had a net margin of 6.66% and a return on equity of 15.75%. The business had revenue of $3.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.90 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.55 earnings per share. Universal Health Services’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 3rd. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.43%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 5.32%.

Universal Health Services Company Profile

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.