Smartleaf Asset Management LLC Purchases 107 Shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS)

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) by 30.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 455 shares of the health services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Universal Health Services were worth $81,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Metis Global Partners LLC lifted its stake in Universal Health Services by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 1,988 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $357,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 8.8% during the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 2,435 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $437,000 after purchasing an additional 197 shares during the last quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Universal Health Services by 12.2% during the fourth quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 2,658 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $477,000 after purchasing an additional 289 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services in the 4th quarter valued at $11,303,000. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its position in Universal Health Services by 7.6% during the 4th quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 54,399 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $9,760,000 after buying an additional 3,848 shares in the last quarter. 86.05% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently issued reports on UHS. The Goldman Sachs Group downgraded Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $228.00 to $198.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Universal Health Services from $285.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Universal Health Services from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $226.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price objective on shares of Universal Health Services from $275.00 to $251.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $231.17.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Maria Ruderman Singer sold 1,614 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.15, for a total transaction of $308,516.10. Following the sale, the director now owns 5,879 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,123,770.85. This represents a 21.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 16.10% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Price Performance

Universal Health Services stock opened at $172.04 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.44, a PEG ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $152.68 and a 12 month high of $243.25. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $183.85 and its 200-day moving average is $202.97.

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

Universal Health Services Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 17th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.47%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio is 4.75%.

About Universal Health Services

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.