Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS Shares Sold by Mediolanum International Funds Ltd

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd decreased its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 48.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,912 shares of the health services provider’s stock after selling 6,391 shares during the quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $1,259,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter worth about $199,334,000. Pzena Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Universal Health Services by 31.5% in the 4th quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 2,112,604 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $460,590,000 after acquiring an additional 505,575 shares during the last quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. raised its holdings in Universal Health Services by 100.6% in the 2nd quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 2,560 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $464,000 after acquiring an additional 426,211 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in Universal Health Services by 59.5% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 871,377 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $189,978,000 after purchasing an additional 325,162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super purchased a new position in Universal Health Services in the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,551,000. 86.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

NYSE:UHS opened at $150.00 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $151.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $180.98. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 1-year low of $140.08 and a 1-year high of $246.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.25, a PEG ratio of 0.80 and a beta of 1.07.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The health services provider reported $5.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.41 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.39 billion. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.56% and a return on equity of 19.57%. The business’s revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.84 EPS. Analysts forecast that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 23.44 EPS for the current year.

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio is presently 3.33%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

UHS has been the topic of several recent research reports. Guggenheim lowered their target price on Universal Health Services from $211.00 to $195.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on Universal Health Services from $261.00 to $230.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Universal Health Services from $235.00 to $205.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Raymond James Financial cut Universal Health Services from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, TD Cowen cut their target price on Universal Health Services from $230.00 to $197.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $213.73.

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.