U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH) Upgraded by Zacks Research to “Hold” Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

USPH has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Citizens Jmp reduced their price target on U.S. Physical Therapy from $113.00 to $98.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Barrington Research reduced their price target on U.S. Physical Therapy from $103.00 to $90.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded U.S. Physical Therapy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Citigroup restated an “outperform” rating on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research report on Friday, May 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $97.50.

U.S. Physical Therapy Stock Up 0.0%

USPH opened at $64.18 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. U.S. Physical Therapy has a 1-year low of $58.19 and a 1-year high of $93.50. The company has a market capitalization of $976.74 million, a PE ratio of 128.35, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.21. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $70.75 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $76.91.

U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.55 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $198.29 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $200.94 million. U.S. Physical Therapy had a return on equity of 8.81% and a net margin of 4.36%.The firm’s revenue was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.48 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that U.S. Physical Therapy will post 2.99 EPS for the current year.

U.S. Physical Therapy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. U.S. Physical Therapy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 368.00%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Richard Binstein sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.64, for a total transaction of $244,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,867 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,030,141.88. This trade represents a 10.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Graham D. Reeve sold 662 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.86, for a total value of $52,205.32. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 30,078 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,371,951.08. This represents a 2.15% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 2.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On U.S. Physical Therapy

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in U.S. Physical Therapy by 106.9% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 109,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,331,000 after buying an additional 56,752 shares in the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in U.S. Physical Therapy by 7.2% during the 4th quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 370,707 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,949,000 after buying an additional 24,848 shares in the last quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 47.6% in the 3rd quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. now owns 474,688 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,325,000 after purchasing an additional 153,054 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. purchased a new position in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $21,940,000. Finally, M&T Bank Corp boosted its holdings in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 172.7% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 28,676 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,239,000 after purchasing an additional 18,159 shares during the period.

U.S. Physical Therapy Company Profile

U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc (NYSE: USPH) is a leading owner and operator of outpatient physical therapy clinics across the United States. The company delivers rehabilitative care to patients recovering from orthopedic injuries, neurological disorders and chronic conditions. Its core services include one-on-one physical therapy sessions, aquatic therapy, occupational therapy, massage therapy and sports medicine programs designed to restore mobility and enhance quality of life.

In addition to traditional rehabilitation services, U.S.