Barclays Has Lowered Expectations for Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) Stock Price

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) had its price objective decreased by equities research analysts at Barclays from $179.00 to $168.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. The firm presently has an “equal weight” rating on the health services provider’s stock. Barclays‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 5.40% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Raymond James Financial cut Universal Health Services from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Guggenheim decreased their target price on Universal Health Services from $211.00 to $195.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Universal Health Services from $241.00 to $204.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $205.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $216.00 to $190.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $213.00.

Universal Health Services Stock Up 2.3%

Universal Health Services stock opened at $159.40 on Tuesday. Universal Health Services has a 52 week low of $140.08 and a 52 week high of $246.32. The stock has a market cap of $9.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.64, a PEG ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.07. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $150.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $179.11. 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 (NYSE:UHS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The health services provider reported $5.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.94 by $0.04. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.56% and a return on equity of 19.57%. The company had revenue of $4.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $5.35 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Universal Health Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 22.280-23.650 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Universal Health Services will post 23.44 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services in the 4th quarter worth about $199,334,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 2,112,604 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $460,590,000 after purchasing an additional 505,575 shares during the period. Nomura Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 100.6% in the 2nd 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. Morgan Stanley lifted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 59.5% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 871,377 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $189,978,000 after purchasing an additional 325,162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 12.1% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,781,262 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $318,812,000 after purchasing an additional 192,351 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

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.