Merit Financial Group LLC Takes Position in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS)

Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund bought 4,376 shares of the health services provider's stock, valued at approximately $822,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UHS. Quent Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 118.3% in the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 179 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Campbell Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $46,000. Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in Universal Health Services by 55.6% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 280 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Universal Health Services by 30.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 455 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Platinum Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in Universal Health Services by 17.6% in the fourth quarter. Platinum Investment Management Ltd. now owns 488 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $88,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Health Services Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of Universal Health Services stock opened at $189.46 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $182.08 and its 200-day simple moving average is $183.79. The stock has a market cap of $12.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.60, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.31. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $153.99 and a 1-year high of $243.25.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 28th. The health services provider reported $4.84 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.36 by $0.48. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 15.75% and a net margin of 6.66%. The company had revenue of $4.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.70 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 16th. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 2nd. Universal Health Services's payout ratio is currently 4.49%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on UHS. Baird R W downgraded Universal Health Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $211.00 to $201.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 30th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $224.00 target price (down previously from $274.00) on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $200.00 target price for the company. Finally, Stephens upgraded shares of Universal Health Services to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, June 2nd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $224.77.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Maria Ruderman Singer sold 1,097 shares of Universal Health Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.48, for a total transaction of $210,053.56. Following the sale, the director now owns 7,884 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,509,628.32. The trade was a 12.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 16.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.

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 and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.