U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" by Analysts

Shares of U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Buy" from the five research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $114.00.

A number of analysts have issued reports on USPH shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of U.S. Physical Therapy from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st. JMP Securities started coverage on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a report on Monday. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $113.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, December 3rd. Citizens Jmp upgraded shares of U.S. Physical Therapy to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Barrington Research reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $108.00 price objective on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research report on Thursday, November 21st.

Insider Transactions at U.S. Physical Therapy

In related news, Director Nancy Ham sold 1,172 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.72, for a total value of $113,355.84. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,112 shares in the company, valued at $107,552.64. This represents a 51.31 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Bernard A. Harris, Jr. sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.95, for a total value of $185,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 16,726 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,554,681.70. The trade was a 10.68 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 7,412 shares of company stock valued at $706,605. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On U.S. Physical Therapy

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in USPH. Precision Wealth Strategies LLC raised its holdings in U.S. Physical Therapy by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. Precision Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 2,824 shares of the company's stock valued at $239,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in U.S. Physical Therapy by 18.6% during the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,188 shares of the company's stock worth $110,000 after purchasing an additional 186 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its stake in U.S. Physical Therapy by 2.7% during the second quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 7,600 shares of the company's stock worth $702,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Martin Capital Advisors LLP boosted its position in U.S. Physical Therapy by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. Martin Capital Advisors LLP now owns 13,138 shares of the company's stock worth $1,112,000 after purchasing an additional 201 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in the second quarter worth about $28,000.

U.S. Physical Therapy Trading Down 2.7 %

NYSE:USPH traded down $2.55 on Wednesday, reaching $92.43. The company's stock had a trading volume of 124,566 shares, compared to its average volume of 93,961. The firm has a market cap of $1.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 98.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.23 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.78, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. U.S. Physical Therapy has a 12-month low of $76.18 and a 12-month high of $113.63. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $90.02 and a 200 day moving average price of $89.80.

U.S. Physical Therapy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Friday, November 15th were given a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 15th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.90%. U.S. Physical Therapy's payout ratio is currently 187.23%.

About U.S. Physical Therapy

U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc operates outpatient physical therapy clinics. The company operates through Physical Therapy Operations and Industrial Injury Prevention Services segments. The company provides pre-and post-operative care and treatment for orthopedic-related disorders, sports-related injuries, preventative care, rehabilitation of injured workers, and neurological-related injuries.