Baird R W Downgrades Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) to Hold

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS - Get Free Report) was downgraded by research analysts at Baird R W from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

UHS has been the topic of several other research reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $230.00 to $225.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $224.00 price target (down previously from $274.00) on shares of Universal Health Services in a report on Tuesday. Stephens raised their price objective 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. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. They issued an "equal weight" rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on Universal Health Services from $271.00 to $249.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Universal Health Services has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $224.92.

Universal Health Services Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of Universal Health Services stock traded up $0.91 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $174.57. 585,657 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 746,613. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.35 billion, a PE ratio of 11.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.21. Universal Health Services has a 1-year low of $153.66 and a 1-year high of $243.25. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $178.66 and a 200-day moving average price of $191.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.28.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $4.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.21 by $0.71. The company had revenue of $4.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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, equities research analysts expect that Universal Health Services will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Universal Health Services

In other news, Director Maria Ruderman Singer sold 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.16, for a total value of $179,160.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 7,916 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,418,230.56. The trade was a 11.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 16.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UHS. First Eagle Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,675,182 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $838,821,000 after acquiring an additional 44,099 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Universal Health Services by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,713,572 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $306,776,000 after purchasing an additional 52,042 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in Universal Health Services by 25.6% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,241,340 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $222,721,000 after buying an additional 253,385 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 0.9% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,197,537 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $274,248,000 after buying an additional 10,578 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 4.7% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 624,143 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $111,984,000 after buying an additional 27,903 shares in the last quarter. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Universal Health Services Company Profile

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.