Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) Price Target Lowered to $249.00 at Barclays

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) had its price target lowered by Barclays from $271.00 to $249.00 in a research note published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the health services provider’s stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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 research report on Monday, November 25th. Bank of America assumed coverage on Universal Health Services in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $223.00 price target for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Universal Health Services from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. TD Cowen dropped their target price on 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. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Universal Health Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 9th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Universal Health Services presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $225.29.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UHS opened at $185.26 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $184.57 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $205.32. Universal Health Services has a twelve month low of $152.68 and a twelve month high of $243.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.32, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $4.92 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.21 by $0.71. The company had revenue of $4.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.01 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 15.75% and a net margin of 6.66%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Universal Health Services will post 15.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. Universal Health Services’s payout ratio is 5.32%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Maria Ruderman Singer sold 1,614 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 $1,123,770.85. The trade was a 21.54 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders own 16.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UHS. Forum Financial Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 20.0% during the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,953 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $350,000 after acquiring an additional 326 shares in the last quarter. GF Fund Management CO. LTD. purchased a new position in Universal Health Services during the 4th quarter valued at $254,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in Universal Health Services in the 4th quarter worth $5,709,000. Neo Ivy Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services in the 4th quarter worth about $359,000. Finally, Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $216,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Company 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.