Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Shares Sold by UniSuper Management Pty Ltd

UniSuper Management Pty Ltd lessened its stake in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 54.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 10,340 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 12,252 shares during the quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $1,855,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Amundi lifted its position in Universal Health Services by 189.5% in the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 360,070 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $68,532,000 after acquiring an additional 235,689 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth about $29,301,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 57.1% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 287,278 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $51,543,000 after purchasing an additional 104,455 shares during the last quarter. AustralianSuper Pty Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $18,709,000. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Universal Health Services during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $21,557,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Universal Health Services

In other Universal Health Services news, Director Maria Ruderman Singer sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $179.16, for a total transaction of $179,160.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 7,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,418,230.56. The trade was a 11.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 16.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

UHS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays reduced their price objective on Universal Health Services from $271.00 to $249.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $228.00 to $198.00 in a research note on Monday, December 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $226.00 price objective on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Stephens increased their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $210.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Morgan Stanley started coverage on Universal Health Services in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $228.38.

Universal Health Services Trading Down 0.2 %

NYSE:UHS opened at $186.11 on Monday. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $152.69 and a 1 year high of $243.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.39. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $181.91 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $196.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.37, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.32.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $4.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.21 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $4.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.01 billion. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 6.66% and a return on equity of 15.75%. As a group, sell-side 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 company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.43%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.75%.

Universal Health Services 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.