Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. Boosts Stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its position in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 41.3% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 45,943 shares of the health services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 13,417 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc.’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $9,393,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $87,373,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Universal Health Services during the second quarter valued at approximately $83,333,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Universal Health Services by 100.6% during the second quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 2,560 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $464,000 after buying an additional 426,211 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 11.1% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,461,198 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $264,696,000 after acquiring an additional 145,730 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi raised its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 50.2% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 403,237 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $74,385,000 after acquiring an additional 134,757 shares during the period. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Universal Health Services stock opened at $205.03 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $222.12 and a 200-day moving average of $202.15. The stock has a market cap of $12.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.28. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $152.33 and a 52 week high of $246.32.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The health services provider reported $5.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.66 by $1.03. The firm had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.32 billion. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.09% and a return on equity of 19.47%. The firm’s revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.71 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3.80%.

Insider Activity

In other Universal Health Services news, Director Elliot J. Md Mba Sussman sold 965 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.70, for a total transaction of $217,800.50. Following the sale, the director owned 6,113 shares in the company, valued at $1,379,704.10. This represents a 13.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,817 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.30, for a total value of $852,336.10. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 8,481 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,893,807.30. This represents a 31.04% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 16.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on UHS. Guggenheim upped their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $253.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Barclays reduced their price objective on Universal Health Services from $263.00 to $262.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 11th. TD Cowen dropped their target price on Universal Health Services from $251.00 to $245.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $235.00 price target (down from $259.00) on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $234.13.

Universal Health Services Company Profile

Universal Health Services, Inc (NYSE: UHS) is one of the largest diversified health care management companies in the United States, offering a broad spectrum of services through its acute care hospital and behavioral health segments. The company operates general acute care hospitals, surgical hospitals and ambulatory centers, as well as inpatient and outpatient behavioral health facilities. Its network provides emergency and specialized medicine, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, advanced surgical care and rehabilitation, complemented by a comprehensive array of behavioral services including psychiatric treatment, addiction programs and developmental disabilities care.

In the acute care segment, UHS’s facilities deliver services ranging from emergency department treatment and intensive care to maternity care and outpatient surgery.