Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS Stock Holdings Boosted by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank increased its position in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 4.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 162,100 shares of the health services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,600 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $29,011,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $199,334,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 31.5% during the fourth quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 2,112,604 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $460,590,000 after buying an additional 505,575 shares during the period. Nomura Holdings Inc. boosted its position 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 worth $464,000 after buying an additional 426,211 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in Universal Health Services by 59.5% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 871,377 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $189,978,000 after buying an additional 325,162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super bought a new position in Universal Health Services in the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,551,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

NYSE:UHS opened at $151.31 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $150.83 and a 200-day moving average of $180.02. The firm has a market cap of $9.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $140.08 and a twelve month high of $246.32.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The health services provider reported $5.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.41 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.39 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.57% and a net margin of 8.56%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.84 EPS. Analysts forecast that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 23.44 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Universal Health Services’s payout ratio is currently 3.33%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UHS has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $205.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Guggenheim lowered their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $211.00 to $195.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Stephens reduced their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $205.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Universal Health Services from $241.00 to $204.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on Universal Health Services from $216.00 to $190.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $213.73.

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.