Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) Stock Jumps 4.3% – Here’s What Happened

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) shares shot up 4.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The company traded as high as $185.73 and last traded at $186.7560. Approximately 326,623 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 61% from the average daily volume of 844,092 shares. The stock had previously closed at $179.01.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UHS has been the subject of several analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Universal Health Services from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen lowered their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $230.00 to $197.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $179.00 to $168.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $204.94.

Universal Health Services Trading Up 0.8%

The company has a market cap of $11.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $175.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $166.19.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The health services provider reported $5.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.94 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $4.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.42% and a return on equity of 19.39%. Universal Health Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $5.35 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 22.86 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Universal Health Services

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Universal Health Services by 2.9% during the 2nd quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,554,670 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $677,234,000 after buying an additional 130,389 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 12.1% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,781,262 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $318,812,000 after acquiring an additional 192,351 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 1.7% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,226,577 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $219,520,000 after acquiring an additional 20,577 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 6.0% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 374,155 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $66,963,000 after purchasing an additional 21,333 shares during the period. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 1.5% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 330,848 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $59,212,000 after purchasing an additional 4,838 shares during the period. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Health Services Company Profile

Universal Health Services, Inc (NYSE: UHS) is a diversified healthcare services company that owns and operates hospitals, outpatient centers, and other healthcare facilities. Its operations are organized primarily around acute care hospitals and behavioral health services.

The company’s acute care facilities provide services such as general hospital care, emergency medicine, surgery, imaging, women’s health, and specialized treatment programs. Its behavioral health facilities offer inpatient and outpatient care for mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and related behavioral health needs.