Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS Shares Sold by California Public Employees Retirement System

California Public Employees Retirement System decreased its position in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 6.5% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 94,151 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 6,545 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $16,850,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Universal Health Services in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Founders Capital Management purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UHS has been the subject of several research reports. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Universal Health Services from $241.00 to $204.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $205.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Universal Health Services from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Health Services currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $213.73.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

Universal Health Services stock opened at $151.31 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.30, a P/E/G ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.07. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $140.08 and a 12-month high of $246.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $150.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $180.02.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The health services provider reported $5.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.41 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.39 billion. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.56% and a return on equity of 19.57%. The company’s revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.84 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 23.44 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. Universal Health Services’s payout ratio is presently 3.33%.

Universal Health Services 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.