Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Purchases Shares of 6,645 Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund purchased 6,645 shares of the health services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,359,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 11.1% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,461,198 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $264,696,000 after purchasing an additional 145,730 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 926,669 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $167,866,000 after buying an additional 31,201 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 639,524 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $115,850,000 after buying an additional 4,932 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al bought a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $87,373,000. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the second quarter valued at approximately $83,333,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Universal Health Services Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE UHS opened at $205.03 on Friday. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $152.33 and a 1 year high of $246.32. The stock has a market cap of $12.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.64 and a beta of 1.28. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $222.12 and a 200 day moving average of $202.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 0.96.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The health services provider reported $5.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.66 by $1.03. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.09% and a return on equity of 19.47%. The business had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.32 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.71 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Universal Health Services’s payout ratio is presently 3.80%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UHS has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $253.00 to $274.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 11th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $227.00 to $250.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 29th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their price objective on Universal Health Services from $251.00 to $245.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $234.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Universal Health Services news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,817 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.30, for a total value of $852,336.10. Following the sale, the director directly owned 8,481 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,893,807.30. The trade was a 31.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Elliot J. Md Mba Sussman sold 965 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.70, for a total value of $217,800.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 6,113 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,379,704.10. This represents a 13.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 16.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Universal Health Services Profile

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.