TD Cowen Cuts Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) Price Target to $245.00

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) had its target price trimmed by TD Cowen from $251.00 to $245.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the health services provider’s stock.

UHS has been the subject of a number of other reports. Raymond James Financial set a $270.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $253.00 to $274.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen raised Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 11th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Universal Health Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Health Services presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $234.20.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

UHS stock opened at $207.08 on Wednesday. Universal Health Services has a 52-week low of $152.33 and a 52-week high of $246.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market cap of $12.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.66 and a beta of 1.28. The business has a fifty day moving average of $226.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $200.84.

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

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio is 3.80%.

Insider Activity

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UHS. Pzena Investment Management LLC increased its position in Universal Health Services by 310.2% during the third quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 1,607,029 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $328,541,000 after buying an additional 1,215,286 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $87,373,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 2nd quarter worth $83,333,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. increased its stake in Universal Health Services by 100.6% in the second quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 2,560 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $464,000 after purchasing an additional 426,211 shares during the period. Finally, Holocene Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 262.4% in the third quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 358,885 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $73,370,000 after buying an additional 259,861 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Company Profile

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.