Great Lakes Advisors LLC Has $2.22 Million Stock Holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Key Points

• Great Lakes Advisors LLC has significantly reduced its holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. by selling 33,341 shares, resulting in ownership of only 11,816 shares valued at approximately $2.22 million.
• Institutional investors have shown increased interest in Universal Health Services, with Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosting its stake by 82.8% in the last quarter, and a total of 86.05% of the stock currently owned by hedge funds.
• Universal Health Services recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share, with a payout ratio of only 4.21%, indicating strong financial health despite fluctuations in stock ratings.

Great Lakes Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS - Free Report) by 73.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,816 shares of the health services provider's stock after selling 33,341 shares during the period. Great Lakes Advisors LLC's holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $2,220,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 49.3% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 203 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. lifted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 89.7% during the 1st quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 258 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. Finally, CX Institutional bought a new position in Universal Health Services in the 1st quarter valued at $74,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group set a $227.00 price objective on Universal Health Services in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Universal Health Services from $201.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 19th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Universal Health Services from $243.00 to $203.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Universal Health Services from $215.00 to $195.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Universal Health Services from $257.00 to $259.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $214.77.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

NYSE:UHS traded down $1.05 on Tuesday, hitting $188.53. The company's stock had a trading volume of 113,246 shares, compared to its average volume of 829,459. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $176.33 and a two-hundred day moving average of $178.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.28. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a one year low of $152.33 and a one year high of $243.25.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, July 28th. The health services provider reported $5.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.85 by $0.50. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 18.25% and a net margin of 7.66%.The company had revenue of $4.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.24 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $4.31 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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 predict that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 16th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 2nd. Universal Health Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.21%.

Universal Health Services Company Profile

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.