SG Americas Securities LLC Purchases 2,662 Shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 73.8% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 6,270 shares of the health services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,662 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $1,282,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UHS. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new position in Universal Health Services in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the second quarter worth about $31,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 347.6% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 188 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank increased its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 240.0% in the second quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 204 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UHS has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $250.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Raymond James Financial set a $270.00 price target on Universal Health Services and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 11th. Finally, Guggenheim increased their price objective on Universal Health Services from $253.00 to $274.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $234.20.

Insider Transactions at Universal Health Services

In other Universal Health Services news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,817 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.30, for a total value of $852,336.10. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,481 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,893,807.30. The trade was a 31.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Elliot J. Md Mba Sussman sold 965 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.70, for a total transaction of $217,800.50. Following the sale, the director owned 6,113 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,379,704.10. This represents a 13.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 16.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of UHS stock opened at $199.80 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a current ratio of 1.03. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $152.33 and a fifty-two week high of $246.32. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $224.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $201.68. The company has a market capitalization of $12.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.49, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.28.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The health services provider reported $5.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.66 by $1.03. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.09% and a return on equity of 19.47%. The firm had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.32 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $3.71 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3.80%.

About Universal Health Services

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.