Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Director Sells $531,209.25 in Stock

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Director Eileen C. Mcdonnell sold 2,535 shares of Universal Health Services stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $209.55, for a total value of $531,209.25. Following the sale, the director now owns 6,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,343,844.15. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Universal Health Services Trading Up 1.7 %

Universal Health Services stock traded up $3.70 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $217.39. The company had a trading volume of 632,902 shares, compared to its average volume of 644,958. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.28 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $185.59 and a 200 day moving average price of $174.10. The firm has a market cap of $14.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.51, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.28. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $119.90 and a 12-month high of $219.61.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The health services provider reported $4.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.37 by $0.94. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 6.22%. The firm had revenue of $3.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.53 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 16.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Health Services declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, July 24th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the health services provider to repurchase up to 8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.37%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.78%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Universal Health Services from $182.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Universal Health Services from $208.00 to $203.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 12th. StockNews.com upgraded Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Universal Health Services from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded Universal Health Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Universal Health Services has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $209.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in UHS. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in Universal Health Services by 1,284.6% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 180 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services in the second quarter worth $35,000. Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services in the first quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services in the first quarter worth $36,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.