3,562 Shares in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS Acquired by Abacus Planning Group Inc.

Key Points

• Abacus Planning Group Inc. acquired 3,562 shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. for approximately $645,000, expanding its stake in the healthcare provider.
• Recent analyst reports have led to a downgrade in Universal Health Services' stock ratings, with Bank of America lowering its rating from "neutral" to "underperform."
• The company reported a net margin of 7.66% and earnings per share (EPS) of $5.35 for the recent quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations and showing year-over-year revenue growth of 9.6%.

Abacus Planning Group Inc. bought a new position in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 3,562 shares of the health services provider's stock, valued at approximately $645,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in UHS. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services in the 1st quarter worth approximately $30,000. Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 49.3% during the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 203 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 89.7% during the first quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 258 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 22.9% during the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 354 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on UHS. Bank of America lowered shares of Universal Health Services from a "neutral" rating to an "underperform" rating and cut their price target for the company from $215.00 to $185.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $243.00 to $203.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Universal Health Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, September 13th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $225.00 to $210.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and set a $227.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $214.08.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of UHS opened at $205.49 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $182.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $180.78. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $152.33 and a 52 week high of $240.26. The company has a market capitalization of $13.08 billion, a PE ratio of 10.82, a PEG ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.29.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 28th. The health services provider reported $5.35 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $4.85 by $0.50. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 7.66% and a return on equity of 18.25%. The firm had revenue of $4.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.24 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $4.31 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Universal Health Services has set its FY 2025 guidance at 20.000-21.000 EPS. Research analysts expect that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 2nd. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.4%. Universal Health Services's dividend payout ratio is 4.21%.

About Universal Health Services

Universal Health Services, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals, and outpatient and behavioral health care facilities. It operates through Acute Care Hospital Services and Behavioral Health Care Services segments. The company's hospitals offer general and specialty surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic and coronary care, pediatric services, pharmacy services, and/or behavioral health services.

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