Ruffer LLP Makes New $18.13 Million Investment in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Ruffer LLP purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 88,680 shares of the health services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $18,130,000. Ruffer LLP owned approximately 0.14% of Universal Health Services at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Universal Health Services by 2.7% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,665 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $501,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the 1st quarter worth $235,000. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 80.6% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,631 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $494,000 after acquiring an additional 1,174 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 22.9% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 354 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in Universal Health Services by 5.5% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,432 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $259,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Universal Health Services

In other Universal Health Services news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,817 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.30, for a total value of $852,336.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,481 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,893,807.30. This trade represents a 31.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 16.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on UHS shares. Guggenheim boosted their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $253.00 to $274.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 11th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Zacks Research upgraded Universal Health Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 27th. Finally, Mizuho set a $242.00 price target on Universal Health Services in a research note on Tuesday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Health Services currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $234.13.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

UHS stock opened at $202.56 on Thursday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $12.66 billion, a PE ratio of 9.62, a P/E/G ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.28. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $152.33 and a 12-month high of $246.32. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $220.68 and its 200 day moving average price is $202.73.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.32 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.47% and a net margin of 8.09%.Universal Health Services’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.71 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 EPS for the current year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

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

About Universal Health Services

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.