Leuthold Group LLC Sells 2,743 Shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Leuthold Group LLC cut its position in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 13.2% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 18,069 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 2,743 shares during the period. Leuthold Group LLC’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $3,273,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new position in Universal Health Services during the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 347.6% during the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 188 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its position in Universal Health Services by 240.0% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 204 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 144 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. grew its stake in Universal Health Services by 89.7% in the 1st quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 258 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 22.9% during the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 354 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on UHS. UBS Group set a $231.00 price target on Universal Health Services in a report on Thursday, October 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Universal Health Services from $215.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Wall Street Zen raised Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 11th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $233.00 target price on Universal Health Services in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $232.64.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Elliot J. Md Mba Sussman sold 965 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.70, for a total value of $217,800.50. Following the transaction, the director owned 6,113 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,379,704.10. This represents a 13.63% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,817 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.30, for a total transaction of $852,336.10. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,481 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,893,807.30. This represents a 31.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 16.40% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

UHS opened at $242.54 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $215.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $192.44. The company has a market cap of $15.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $152.33 and a 52-week high of $246.32.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The health services provider reported $5.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.66 by $1.03. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.09% and a return on equity of 19.47%. The business had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.32 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.71 EPS. Universal Health Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st will be issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio is currently 3.80%.

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.