U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Six brokers give U.S. Physical Therapy an average rating of "Moderate Buy" (1 sell, 1 hold, 3 buy, 1 strong buy) with an average 1‑year price target of $101.67, versus the recent share price of about $71.71.
• Quarterly results: The company reported EPS of $0.67 (in line with estimates) and revenue of $202.73M (beat expectations), with revenue up 12.3% year‑over‑year; analysts forecast ~2.87 EPS for the year.
• Dividend and risks: Quarterly dividend was raised to $0.46 ($1.84 annualized, 2.6% yield), but the payout ratio is elevated at 129.58%, and company insiders have recently sold shares.

Shares of U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $101.6667.

A number of brokerages recently commented on USPH. Barrington Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $103.00 price target on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Zacks Research cut shares of U.S. Physical Therapy from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of U.S. Physical Therapy to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st.

U.S. Physical Therapy Trading Up 0.7%

U.S. Physical Therapy stock opened at $71.71 on Friday. U.S. Physical Therapy has a 52-week low of $66.67 and a 52-week high of $93.50. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $77.16 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $80.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $1.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 1.21.

U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The company reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.67. The firm had revenue of $202.73 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $200.10 million. U.S. Physical Therapy had a net margin of 5.07% and a return on equity of 8.75%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 12.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.51 earnings per share. Analysts predict that U.S. Physical Therapy will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

U.S. Physical Therapy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from U.S. Physical Therapy's previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.6%. U.S. Physical Therapy's payout ratio is presently 129.58%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard Binstein sold 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.64, for a total value of $244,920.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,867 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,030,141.88. This represents a 10.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Graham D. Reeve sold 662 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.86, for a total transaction of $52,205.32. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 30,078 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,371,951.08. This trade represents a 2.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of U.S. Physical Therapy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in USPH. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 56.4% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 366 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in U.S. Physical Therapy in the third quarter worth approximately $39,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in U.S. Physical Therapy by 68.8% during the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 471 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 192 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in U.S. Physical Therapy by 207.1% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 516 shares of the company's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 348 shares during the period. Finally, iSAM Funds UK Ltd bought a new stake in U.S. Physical Therapy during the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000.

U.S. Physical Therapy Company Profile

U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc NYSE: USPH is a leading owner and operator of outpatient physical therapy clinics across the United States. The company delivers rehabilitative care to patients recovering from orthopedic injuries, neurological disorders and chronic conditions. Its core services include one-on-one physical therapy sessions, aquatic therapy, occupational therapy, massage therapy and sports medicine programs designed to restore mobility and enhance quality of life.

In addition to traditional rehabilitation services, U.S.

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