Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Director Sells $531,209.25 in Stock

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Director Eileen C. Mcdonnell sold 2,535 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $209.55, for a total value of $531,209.25. Following the transaction, the director now owns 6,413 shares in the company, valued at $1,343,844.15. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

NYSE:UHS traded up $3.70 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $217.39. 632,902 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 644,958. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 52-week low of $119.90 and a 52-week high of $219.61. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $185.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $174.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The company has a market cap of $14.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.51, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.28.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The health services provider reported $4.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.37 by $0.94. The business had revenue of $3.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.87 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 6.22%. The business’s revenue was up 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.53 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 16.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be given a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.37%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.78%.

Universal Health Services announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, July 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the health services provider to purchase up to 8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UHS has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com raised Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Robert W. Baird raised Universal Health Services from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $198.00 to $236.00 in a research report on Wednesday, June 26th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Thursday. UBS Group raised Universal Health Services from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $189.00 to $226.00 in a research report on Monday, May 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Universal Health Services from $183.00 to $189.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Universal Health Services currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $209.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services in the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 1,284.6% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 180 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new position in Universal Health Services in the second quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services during the first quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services during the first quarter worth $36,000. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Universal Health Services

Universal Health Services, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals, and outpatient and behavioral health care facilities. It operates through Acute Care Hospital Services and Behavioral Health Care Services segments. The company's hospitals offer general and specialty surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic and coronary care, pediatric services, pharmacy services, and/or behavioral health services.