Mount Lucas Management LP Decreases Holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS)

Mount Lucas Management LP lessened its stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 5.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,415 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 275 shares during the quarter. Mount Lucas Management LP’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $792,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of UHS. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Universal Health Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Quent Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 118.3% in the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 179 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in Universal Health Services during the third quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Huntington National Bank increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 414.3% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 180 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $66,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on UHS shares. TD Cowen dropped their price target 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. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Universal Health Services from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Barclays dropped their target price on Universal Health Services from $271.00 to $249.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $228.00 to $198.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $226.00 price objective on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Universal Health Services has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $231.17.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UHS opened at $172.04 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $183.85 and a 200-day moving average price of $202.97. The company has a market cap of $11.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.32. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $152.68 and a 12 month high of $243.25.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $4.92 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 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, Inc. will post 15.92 EPS for the current year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.75%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Health Services

In other Universal Health Services news, Director Maria Ruderman Singer sold 1,614 shares of Universal Health Services 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 sale, the director now directly owns 5,879 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,123,770.85. The trade was a 21.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 16.10% of the company’s stock.

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.