TD Cowen Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) Stock Price

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) had its target price trimmed by TD Cowen from $283.00 to $275.00 in a research note published on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the health services provider’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also commented on UHS. Barclays upped their price target on Universal Health Services from $256.00 to $271.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $200.00 to $229.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 30th. StockNews.com raised shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $189.00 to $222.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, September 9th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $231.00.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

NYSE:UHS opened at $204.22 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $227.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $201.82. Universal Health Services has a 1-year low of $123.80 and a 1-year high of $243.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.58, a PEG ratio of 0.67 and a beta of 1.27.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The health services provider reported $3.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.75 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $3.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.90 billion. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 6.66% and a return on equity of 15.75%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.55 EPS. Analysts forecast that Universal Health Services will post 15.9 EPS for the current year.

Universal Health Services declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Wednesday, July 24th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the health services provider to repurchase up to 8% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Nina Chen-Langenmayr sold 850 shares of Universal Health Services stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.11, for a total value of $180,293.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,985 shares in the company, valued at approximately $421,038.35. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Universal Health Services news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,444 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $217.64, for a total value of $749,552.16. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 3,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $864,248.44. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Nina Chen-Langenmayr sold 850 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.11, for a total transaction of $180,293.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 1,985 shares in the company, valued at $421,038.35. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 16.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of UHS. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 0.8% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,099,282 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,295,335,000 after purchasing an additional 57,036 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 486,438 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $89,957,000 after buying an additional 2,620 shares in the last quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 41.2% in the 1st quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 455,773 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $83,160,000 after buying an additional 132,942 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 362.3% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 322,626 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $59,663,000 after buying an additional 252,846 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake in Universal Health Services by 357.9% during the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 261,221 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $48,308,000 after acquiring an additional 204,178 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

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.