Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Stock Has Average Price Target of $204.94 According to Analysts

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the eighteen research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $204.94.

UHS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $183.00 price objective on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Thursday, August 20th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Monday, August 31st. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $230.00 to $197.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $242.00 to $190.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Leerink Partners increased their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $198.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, September 18th.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

NYSE UHS opened at $174.49 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $10.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.11, a PEG ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $172.08 and its 200 day moving average price is $166.95. Universal Health Services has a 1 year low of $140.08 and a 1 year high of $246.32.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The health services provider reported $5.98 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.94 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $4.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.58 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.39% and a net margin of 8.42%.The firm’s revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $5.35 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Universal Health Services will post 22.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 1st. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3.26%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 4.2% in the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 46,719 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $6,947,000 after buying an additional 1,885 shares during the last quarter. Talon Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Universal Health Services in the second quarter valued at approximately $776,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 83.6% in the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 7,026 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,045,000 after acquiring an additional 3,200 shares during the period. Engineers Gate Manager LP boosted its position in Universal Health Services by 840.2% in the 2nd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 10,643 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $1,583,000 after purchasing an additional 9,511 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SVB Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 10.4% during the 2nd quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 13,061 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $1,942,000 after purchasing an additional 1,232 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

About Universal Health Services

Universal Health Services, Inc (NYSE: UHS) is a diversified healthcare services company that owns and operates hospitals, outpatient centers, and other healthcare facilities. Its operations are organized primarily around acute care hospitals and behavioral health services.

The company’s acute care facilities provide services such as general hospital care, emergency medicine, surgery, imaging, women’s health, and specialized treatment programs. Its behavioral health facilities offer inpatient and outpatient care for mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and related behavioral health needs.