Pzena Investment Management LLC Lowers Stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Pzena Investment Management LLC cut its holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 9.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,912,235 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 200,369 shares during the quarter. Universal Health Services comprises approximately 1.1% of Pzena Investment Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Pzena Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $342,233,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Universal Health Services in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Founders Capital Management acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 302.9% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 141 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. 86.05% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on UHS shares. Guggenheim cut their price target on Universal Health Services from $238.00 to $211.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $233.00 to $212.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Monday, June 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $165.00 target price for the company. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $268.00 to $238.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald dropped their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $229.00 to $194.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.56.

Universal Health Services Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of UHS opened at $150.51 on Thursday. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a twelve month low of $140.08 and a twelve month high of $246.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.27, a PEG ratio of 0.79 and a beta of 1.07. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $156.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $188.00.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The health services provider reported $5.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.41 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.39 billion. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.56% and a return on equity of 19.57%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.84 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 23.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Monday, June 8th were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 8th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Universal Health Services’s payout ratio is currently 3.33%.

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.