Royal Bank Of Canada Reiterates Sector Perform Rating for Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS)

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS)‘s stock had its “sector perform” rating reaffirmed by equities researchers at Royal Bank Of Canada in a research note issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $183.00 target price on the health services provider’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 5.74% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $179.00 to $168.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $242.00 to $190.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $194.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on Universal Health Services from $261.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $204.93.

Universal Health Services Stock Up 0.4%

UHS stock traded up $0.74 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $173.07. The stock had a trading volume of 41,873 shares, compared to its average volume of 880,894. The business has a 50-day moving average of $156.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $175.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.12 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market cap of $10.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.05. Universal Health Services has a 52-week low of $140.08 and a 52-week high of $246.32.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The health services provider reported $5.98 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $4.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $5.35 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Universal Health Services will post 23.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 51.4% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 54,975 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $11,988,000 after buying an additional 18,652 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its position in Universal Health Services by 380.3% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 137,575 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $29,994,000 after buying an additional 108,931 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in Universal Health Services by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 119,385 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $26,250,000 after acquiring an additional 6,022 shares during the period. Caprock Group LLC lifted its stake in Universal Health Services by 155.1% during the 4th quarter. Caprock Group LLC now owns 11,200 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $2,442,000 after acquiring an additional 6,810 shares during the period. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 79.8% during the 1st quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 47,576 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $8,515,000 after acquiring an additional 21,122 shares during the last quarter. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Universal Health Services Company Profile

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.