Vanguard Group Inc. Grows Position in U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. $USPH

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) by 1.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,085,336 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 15,712 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 0.07% of U.S. Physical Therapy worth $84,754,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in USPH. Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in U.S. Physical Therapy in the third quarter worth about $39,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in U.S. Physical Therapy by 68.8% in the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 471 shares of the company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 192 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in 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. iSAM Funds UK Ltd purchased a new stake in U.S. Physical Therapy in the third quarter worth about $52,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its stake in U.S. Physical Therapy by 38.7% in the third quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 702 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the period.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Graham D. Reeve sold 662 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.86, for a total transaction of $52,205.32. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 30,078 shares in the company, valued at $2,371,951.08. This represents a 2.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Richard Binstein sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 24,867 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,030,141.88. This trade represents a 10.77% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 2.00% of the company’s stock.

U.S. Physical Therapy Stock Performance

USPH opened at $60.22 on Thursday. U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. has a 52-week low of $58.19 and a 52-week high of $93.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market cap of $916.55 million, a P/E ratio of 120.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.21. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $74.48 and its 200-day moving average price is $78.69.

U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.55 by ($0.09). U.S. Physical Therapy had a net margin of 4.36% and a return on equity of 8.81%. The company had revenue of $198.29 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $200.94 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.48 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. will post 2.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

U.S. Physical Therapy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. U.S. Physical Therapy’s dividend payout ratio is 368.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Barrington Research lowered their price objective on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy from $103.00 to $90.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Zacks Research downgraded shares of U.S. Physical Therapy from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of U.S. Physical Therapy to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Citizens Jmp reduced their target price on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy from $113.00 to $98.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $97.50.

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.