Alberta Investment Management Corp Buys New Shares in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Key Points

• Alberta Investment Management Corp initiated a new position in Universal Health Services, buying 24,000 shares worth about $5.23 million in the fourth quarter.
• Universal Health Services recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $5.62 versus estimates of $5.41 and revenue of $4.50 billion, up 9.6% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious overall: the stock has a Hold consensus rating, with an average price target of $218.63, while the shares were trading near $146.90 and the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share.

Alberta Investment Management Corp bought a new position in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 24,000 shares of the health services provider's stock, valued at approximately $5,232,000.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Universal Health Services by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 2,665 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $501,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in Universal Health Services in the first quarter valued at approximately $235,000. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 80.6% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 2,631 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $494,000 after purchasing an additional 1,174 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 95.0% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 583 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 284 shares during the period. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL bought a new position in shares of Universal Health Services in the second quarter worth approximately $379,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on UHS. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $261.00 to $230.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Stephens cut their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $205.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $268.00 to $238.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Universal Health Services from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Monday, June 1st. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $165.00 target price for the company. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Universal Health Services currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $218.63.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

UHS stock opened at $146.90 on Wednesday. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $140.08 and a 1 year high of $246.32. The company has a market cap of $8.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.12, a PEG ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 1.07. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $164.83 and a 200 day moving average of $194.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.01.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.56% and a return on equity of 19.57%. The company had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.39 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.84 earnings per share. Universal Health Services's revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 23.47 EPS for the current year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 8th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Universal Health Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3.33%.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UHS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.