Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) Announces Earnings Results

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The health services provider reported $4.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.21 by $0.71, Zacks reports. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 15.75% and a net margin of 6.66%. Universal Health Services updated its FY 2025 guidance to 18.450-19.950 EPS.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

NYSE:UHS traded down $9.90 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $179.11. The stock had a trading volume of 1,149,510 shares, compared to its average volume of 557,380. 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 stock has a market cap of $11.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.91, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.30. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $184.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $205.64. Universal Health Services has a 12-month low of $152.68 and a 12-month high of $243.25.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UHS has been the topic of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered Universal Health Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 9th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $285.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Universal Health Services from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $226.00 target price on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $275.00 to $251.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $226.14.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 transaction of $308,516.10. Following the transaction, the director now owns 5,879 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,123,770.85. The trade was a 21.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 16.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About Universal Health Services

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.