U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) have received an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $99.50.

A number of research firms have commented on USPH. Barrington Research lifted their price objective on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. Citizens Jmp reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating and set a $98.00 target price on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Zacks Research raised U.S. Physical Therapy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th.

U.S. Physical Therapy Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE USPH opened at $78.84 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $76.06 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $73.39. U.S. Physical Therapy has a 52-week low of $58.19 and a 52-week high of $93.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 463.79, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 1.13.

U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.81 by ($0.06). U.S. Physical Therapy had a return on equity of 9.39% and a net margin of 3.97%.The firm had revenue of $214.06 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $211.36 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.81 EPS. U.S. Physical Therapy’s revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that U.S. Physical Therapy will post 2.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

U.S. Physical Therapy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 11th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 21st. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.3%. U.S. Physical Therapy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 1,082.35%.

Insider Transactions at U.S. Physical Therapy

In related news, Director Peter Francis Minan acquired 492 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The stock was bought at an average price of $63.14 per share, for a total transaction of $31,064.88. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,923 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $184,558.22. The trade was a 20.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.40% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On U.S. Physical Therapy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of USPH. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in U.S. Physical Therapy by 56.4% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank lifted its position in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,052 shares of the company’s stock valued at $82,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 10,447 shares of the company’s stock valued at $817,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in U.S. Physical Therapy by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $438,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the period. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in U.S. Physical Therapy by 6.7% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 3,381 shares of the company’s stock worth $253,000 after purchasing an additional 212 shares in the last quarter.

About U.S. Physical Therapy

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.