Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Shares Purchased by Bank of Montreal Can

Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 10.3% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 65,992 shares of the health services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,169 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $11,840,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Universal Health Services during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Quent Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 118.3% in the fourth quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 179 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Campbell Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Universal Health Services during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in Universal Health Services by 55.6% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 280 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services in the third quarter worth approximately $69,000. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Universal Health Services in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald raised Universal Health Services from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Universal Health Services from $271.00 to $249.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $228.00 to $198.00 in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Guggenheim began coverage on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Wednesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $208.00 target price for the company. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $228.77.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Maria Ruderman Singer sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $179.16, for a total value of $179,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 7,916 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,418,230.56. The trade was a 11.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 16.10% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

NYSE UHS opened at $175.05 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $179.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $192.84. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $152.69 and a 12-month high of $243.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.38 billion, a PE ratio of 11.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The health services provider reported $4.92 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.21 by $0.71. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 6.66% and a return on equity of 15.75%. The firm had revenue of $4.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.01 billion. As a group, equities analysts predict that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.46%. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.75%.

Universal Health Services Profile

Universal Health Services, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals, and outpatient and behavioral health care facilities. It operates through Acute Care Hospital Services and Behavioral Health Care Services segments. The company's hospitals offer general and specialty surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic and coronary care, pediatric services, pharmacy services, and/or behavioral health services.