Teacher Retirement System of Texas Decreases Position in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Teacher Retirement System of Texas decreased its holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 60.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 28,644 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 43,790 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $5,856,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 11.1% in the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,461,198 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $264,696,000 after acquiring an additional 145,730 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 926,669 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $167,866,000 after purchasing an additional 31,201 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 639,524 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $115,850,000 after purchasing an additional 4,932 shares during the last quarter. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $87,373,000. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $83,333,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

NYSE UHS opened at $206.02 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.79, a PEG ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.28. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $221.72 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $202.59. 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.

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

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Universal Health Services

In related news, Director Elliot J. Md Mba Sussman sold 965 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.70, for a total value of $217,800.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 6,113 shares in the company, valued at $1,379,704.10. The trade was a 13.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,817 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.30, for a total transaction of $852,336.10. Following the sale, the director directly owned 8,481 shares in the company, valued at $1,893,807.30. This trade represents a 31.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 16.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on UHS. Mizuho set a $242.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Universal Health Services in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $219.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 11th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their price objective on Universal Health Services from $253.00 to $274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $234.13.

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.