U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH) Sees Large Volume Increase – Should You Buy?

U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) saw strong trading volume on Monday . 444,641 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 88% from the previous session’s volume of 236,102 shares.The stock last traded at $83.9950 and had previously closed at $78.88.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen cut U.S. Physical Therapy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, September 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 24th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Barrington Research restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $103.00 target price on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a report on Monday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, U.S. Physical Therapy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $105.33.

U.S. Physical Therapy Stock Up 7.0%

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $77.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $80.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm has a market cap of $1.28 billion, a PE ratio of 35.47, a PEG ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 1.29.

U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 22nd. The company reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter. U.S. Physical Therapy had a return on equity of 8.62% and a net margin of 5.71%.The company had revenue of $140.66 million for the quarter. On average, equities research analysts expect that U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. will post 2.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

U.S. Physical Therapy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 12th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. U.S. Physical Therapy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 75.63%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On U.S. Physical Therapy

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of USPH. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 90.6% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 448 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares during the period. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. increased its stake in U.S. Physical Therapy by 171.8% in the 2nd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 443 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 280 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in U.S. Physical Therapy during the third quarter valued at about $39,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 68.8% in the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 471 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 207.1% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 516 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 348 shares during the period.

About U.S. Physical Therapy

U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc (NYSE: USPH) is a leading owner and operator of outpatient physical therapy clinics across the United States. The company delivers rehabilitative care to patients recovering from orthopedic injuries, neurological disorders and chronic conditions. Its core services include one-on-one physical therapy sessions, aquatic therapy, occupational therapy, massage therapy and sports medicine programs designed to restore mobility and enhance quality of life.

In addition to traditional rehabilitation services, U.S.