Teacher Retirement System of Texas Lowers Stock Holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Teacher Retirement System of Texas cut its holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 60.5% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 28,644 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 43,790 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $5,856,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in UHS. iA Global Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 20.7% in the 3rd quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 9,163 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $1,873,000 after acquiring an additional 1,573 shares in the last quarter. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 5.6% during the third quarter. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,405 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $287,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 20.9% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 833 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $171,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the period. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the third quarter worth about $1,359,000. Finally, Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC raised its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 82.1% during the 3rd quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 3,008 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $660,000 after purchasing an additional 1,356 shares during the last quarter. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently issued reports on UHS. Morgan Stanley set a $233.00 price objective on Universal Health Services in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Universal Health Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Universal Health Services in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $219.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Guggenheim upped their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $253.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Universal Health Services currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $234.13.

Insider Activity

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

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of Universal Health Services stock opened at $206.02 on Tuesday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $221.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $202.59. The company has a market cap of $12.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.79, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.03. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a one year low of $152.33 and a one year high of $246.32.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The health services provider reported $5.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.66 by $1.03. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.47% and a net margin of 8.09%.The company had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.32 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.71 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 EPS for the current year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

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

Universal Health Services 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.