Universal Health Services, Inc. Plans Quarterly Dividend of $0.20 (NYSE:UHS)

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, May 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 8th will be given a dividend of 0.20 per share by the health services provider on Thursday, June 18th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 8th.

Universal Health Services has increased its dividend by an average of 0.3%annually over the last three years. Universal Health Services has a payout ratio of 3.7% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Universal Health Services to earn $25.28 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.80 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 3.2%.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UHS opened at $154.52 on Thursday. Universal Health Services has a twelve month low of $152.33 and a twelve month high of $246.32. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $175.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $203.13. The company has a market capitalization of $9.35 billion, a PE ratio of 6.44, a P/E/G ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The health services provider reported $5.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.41 by $0.21. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.56% and a return on equity of 19.57%. The business had revenue of $4.50 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.39 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $4.84 earnings per share. Universal Health Services’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Universal Health Services will post 23.34 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Universal Health Services

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Glenmede Trust Co. NA increased its stake in Universal Health Services by 742.5% in the first quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 12,696 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $2,272,000 after purchasing an additional 11,189 shares in the last quarter. BankChampaign National Association bought a new stake in Universal Health Services in the first quarter valued at $374,000. Amundi increased its stake in Universal Health Services by 77.0% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 234,304 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $41,933,000 after purchasing an additional 101,910 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in Universal Health Services by 7.1% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 128,682 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $23,030,000 after purchasing an additional 8,533 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its stake in Universal Health Services by 1.5% in the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 330,848 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $59,212,000 after purchasing an additional 4,838 shares in the last quarter. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Universal Health Services

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.