Bridgewater Associates LP Has $57.80 Million Stake in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS)

Bridgewater Associates LP increased its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS - Free Report) by 119.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 322,163 shares of the health services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 175,131 shares during the quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP owned 0.49% of Universal Health Services worth $57,802,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Quent Capital LLC increased its holdings in Universal Health Services by 118.3% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 179 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Campbell Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth about $46,000. Huntington National Bank boosted its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 55.6% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 280 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services in the third quarter worth about $69,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company's stock.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

UHS stock traded up $0.91 during trading on Friday, hitting $174.57. The company had a trading volume of 585,657 shares, compared to its average volume of 745,985. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business has a 50 day moving average of $178.66 and a 200 day moving average of $190.96. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $158.10 and a fifty-two week high of $243.25.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $4.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.21 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $4.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.01 billion. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 15.75% and a net margin of 6.66%. As a group, research analysts predict 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, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Universal Health Services's payout ratio is 4.75%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UHS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Baird R W lowered Universal Health Services from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded shares of Universal Health Services from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Robert W. Baird reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $224.00 price objective (down previously from $274.00) on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Tuesday, April 15th. Stephens raised their target price on Universal Health Services from $210.00 to $223.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Guggenheim started coverage on Universal Health Services in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $208.00 price target on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $224.92.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Maria Ruderman Singer sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $179.16, for a total value of $179,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 7,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,418,230.56. This represents a 11.22 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 16.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.