U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $101.6667.

USPH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of U.S. Physical Therapy to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Barrington Research reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $103.00 price target on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Zacks Research downgraded U.S. Physical Therapy from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a report on Wednesday, January 21st.

U.S. Physical Therapy Stock Up 2.9%

USPH stock opened at $73.83 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 52.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.21. U.S. Physical Therapy has a 52 week low of $66.67 and a 52 week high of $93.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $76.70 and a 200 day moving average of $79.74.

U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $198.29 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $200.94 million. U.S. Physical Therapy had a net margin of 5.07% and a return on equity of 8.75%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.48 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that U.S. Physical Therapy will post 2.87 earnings per share for the current year.

U.S. Physical Therapy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a $0.46 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. U.S. Physical Therapy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 129.58%.

Insider Activity at U.S. Physical Therapy

In other news, COO Graham D. Reeve sold 662 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.86, for a total value of $52,205.32. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 30,078 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,371,951.08. This represents a 2.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Richard Binstein sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.64, for a total transaction of $244,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,867 shares in the company, valued at $2,030,141.88. The trade was a 10.77% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in U.S. Physical Therapy by 56.4% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 132 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new position in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 68.8% in the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 471 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 192 shares during the period. 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 buying an additional 348 shares during the last quarter. Finally, iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in the third quarter worth about $52,000.

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.