Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) Shares Climb 4.3% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Universal Health Services shares rose 4.3% to about $186.76, with trading volume roughly 61% below its average.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating across 18 ratings, with an average price target of $204.94; targets range from $166 to $205 among recent updates.
• The company exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $5.98 in EPS and $4.64 billion in revenue, up 8.3% year over year. Institutional investors and hedge funds own approximately 86.05% of the stock.

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS - Get Free Report)'s stock price rose 4.3% during trading on Wednesday. The company traded as high as $185.73 and last traded at $186.7560. Approximately 326,623 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 61% from the average daily volume of 844,092 shares. The stock had previously closed at $179.01.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Universal Health Services from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Universal Health Services from $212.00 to $191.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Leerink Partners boosted their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $198.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $230.00 to $197.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Universal Health Services has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $204.94.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.12, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The company's fifty day moving average is $174.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $166.16. The stock has a market cap of $11.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.60, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.03.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The health services provider reported $5.98 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $5.94 by $0.04. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 19.39% and a net margin of 8.42%. The company had revenue of $4.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.58 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $5.35 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 8.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 22.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wedmont Private Capital acquired a new position in Universal Health Services in the 3rd quarter valued at about $233,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 87.7% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,102 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $192,000 after purchasing an additional 515 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 102.8% during the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,371 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $239,000 after purchasing an additional 695 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 103.1% in the third quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 392 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares during the period. Finally, Family Legacy Financial Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.05% of the company's stock.

About Universal Health Services

Universal Health Services, Inc NYSE: UHS is a diversified healthcare services company that owns and operates hospitals, outpatient centers, and other healthcare facilities. Its operations are organized primarily around acute care hospitals and behavioral health services.

The company's acute care facilities provide services such as general hospital care, emergency medicine, surgery, imaging, women's health, and specialized treatment programs. Its behavioral health facilities offer inpatient and outpatient care for mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and related behavioral health needs.

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