Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS Shares Sold by Texas Permanent School Fund Corp

Texas Permanent School Fund Corp lessened its stake in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 59.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,678 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 5,476 shares during the quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $666,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 581.6% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 24,675 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $4,626,000 after buying an additional 21,055 shares during the period. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,283,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. raised its stake in shares of 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 valued at $464,000 after purchasing an additional 426,211 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Rexford Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the second quarter worth $145,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on UHS. Guggenheim lifted 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 note on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Universal Health Services in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $219.00 target price on the stock. Barclays increased their price target on Universal Health Services from $250.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on Universal Health Services from $227.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Universal Health Services has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $234.14.

Insider Activity at Universal Health Services

In related news, Director Elliot J. Md Mba Sussman sold 965 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the director directly owned 6,113 shares in the company, valued at $1,379,704.10. This trade represents a 13.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,817 shares of Universal Health Services stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 8,481 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,893,807.30. This represents a 31.04% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 16.40% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of Universal Health Services stock opened at $227.08 on Friday. 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 1 year low of $152.33 and a 1 year high of $246.32. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $225.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $197.30. The firm has a market cap of $14.19 billion, a PE ratio of 10.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.77 and a beta of 1.27.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The health services provider reported $5.69 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.32 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.71 earnings per share. Universal Health Services’s quarterly revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 earnings per share 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. Universal Health Services’s payout ratio is 3.80%.

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.