Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) Price Target Lowered to $211.00 at Royal Bank of Canada

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) had its price target trimmed by Royal Bank of Canada from $222.00 to $211.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a sector perform rating on the health services provider’s stock.

UHS has been the subject of several other reports. Barclays lifted their price objective on Universal Health Services from $256.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Stephens reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $236.00 to $274.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 4th. KeyCorp began coverage on Universal Health Services in a report on Friday, October 11th. They issued a “sector weight” rating on the stock. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 19th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $231.00.

Universal Health Services Stock Down 1.6 %

UHS opened at $204.22 on Monday. 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 of $227.75 and a 200-day moving average of $201.82. Universal Health Services has a fifty-two week low of $123.80 and a fifty-two week high of $243.25. The company has a market capitalization of $13.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.58, a P/E/G ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.27.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The health services provider reported $3.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.75 by ($0.04). Universal Health Services had a net margin of 6.66% and a return on equity of 15.75%. The business had revenue of $3.96 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.55 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Universal Health Services will post 15.9 EPS for the current year.

Universal Health Services declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, July 24th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the health services provider to buy up to 8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,444 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.64, for a total transaction of $749,552.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $864,248.44. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Universal Health Services news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,444 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.64, for a total transaction of $749,552.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 3,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $864,248.44. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Nina Chen-Langenmayr sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.11, for a total transaction of $180,293.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,985 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $421,038.35. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 16.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 26.6% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 13,109 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,998,000 after acquiring an additional 2,756 shares in the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC bought a new position in Universal Health Services in the first quarter worth approximately $37,000. Uncommon Cents Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 7.8% in the first quarter. Uncommon Cents Investing LLC now owns 3,720 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $679,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its stake in Universal Health Services by 5.2% in the first quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 3,120 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $569,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the period. Finally, Fortis Group Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 1st quarter valued at $275,000. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.