Vista Investment Partners LLC Purchases New Stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Vista Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 12,382 shares of the health services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,700,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the 4th quarter valued at $94,000. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth $394,000. Founders Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. BTC Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 161.3% in the fourth quarter. BTC Capital Management Inc. now owns 42,199 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $9,203,000 after purchasing an additional 26,047 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royal Fund Management LLC bought a new stake in Universal Health Services in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,000,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on UHS. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $251.00 to $245.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $250.00 to $229.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Zacks Research downgraded Universal Health Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $212.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on Universal Health Services from $262.00 to $268.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $232.21.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of UHS opened at $178.12 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $10.88 billion, a PE ratio of 7.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.26. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $204.67 and a 200-day moving average of $211.93. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a one year low of $152.33 and a one year high of $246.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The health services provider reported $5.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.92 by ($0.04). Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.57% and a return on equity of 19.65%. The firm had revenue of $4.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.92 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Universal Health Services has set its FY 2026 guidance at 22.640-24.520 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3.46%.

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.