Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS Stock Position Lowered by CastleKnight Management LP

Key Points

• CastleKnight Management LP cut its stake in Universal Health Services by 63.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 69,700 shares and leaving it with 40,100 shares worth about $8.74 million.
• Analysts are mixed on UHS: several firms lowered price targets, and the stock’s consensus rating is currently Hold with an average target price of $218.63.
• UHS reported solid quarterly results, beating earnings and revenue estimates, but the stock was still down 3.9% and was trading near its 1-year low of $140.08.

CastleKnight Management LP lessened its position in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS - Free Report) by 63.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 40,100 shares of the health services provider's stock after selling 69,700 shares during the period. CastleKnight Management LP owned approximately 0.06% of Universal Health Services worth $8,743,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 2.7% during the first 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 acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the first quarter worth $235,000. Focus Partners Wealth raised its position 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 worth $494,000 after purchasing an additional 1,174 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position 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 worth $106,000 after purchasing an additional 284 shares during the period. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the second quarter worth $379,000. Institutional investors own 86.05% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on UHS shares. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Universal Health Services from $241.00 to $204.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on Universal Health Services from $216.00 to $190.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Universal Health Services in a research report on Monday, June 1st. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $165.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho cut their target price on Universal Health Services from $267.00 to $230.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $218.63.

Universal Health Services Stock Down 3.9%

NYSE:UHS opened at $141.19 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.88, a PEG ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 1.07. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $140.08 and a 1-year high of $246.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The business's fifty day moving average price is $164.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $194.05.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The health services provider reported $5.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.41 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.39 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.57% and a net margin of 8.56%.Universal Health Services's quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.84 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 23.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Monday, June 8th will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 8th. Universal Health Services's payout ratio is presently 3.33%.

About Universal Health Services

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.

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