1,795 Shares in Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Acquired by Exchange Traded Concepts LLC

Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 1,795 shares of the health services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $411,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Inspire Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of Universal Health Services in the 1st quarter valued at $897,000. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board increased its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 95.9% in the first quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 19,511 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $3,560,000 after purchasing an additional 9,549 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in shares of Universal Health Services by 27.9% in the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 65,643 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $11,998,000 after purchasing an additional 14,326 shares during the last quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Universal Health Services during the first quarter worth about $738,000. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in Universal Health Services by 5,033.3% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 7,084 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $1,292,000 after buying an additional 6,946 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Trading Up 1.1 %

UHS stock opened at $236.67 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $229.19 and its 200 day moving average is $199.16. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $119.90 and a 12-month high of $243.25. The stock has a market cap of $15.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.06, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The health services provider reported $4.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.37 by $0.94. Universal Health Services had a return on equity of 14.91% and a net margin of 6.22%. The firm had revenue of $3.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.87 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.53 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, July 24th that permits the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the health services provider to purchase up to 8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on UHS. TD Cowen raised shares of Universal Health Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $220.00 to $283.00 in a research report on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Universal Health Services from $189.00 to $222.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, September 9th. Baird R W raised shares of Universal Health Services from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 26th. StockNews.com raised Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Universal Health Services from $200.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 30th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $229.77.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Matthew Jay Peterson sold 15,141 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.85, for a total transaction of $3,192,479.85. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,253 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,107,595.05. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Universal Health Services news, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,444 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $217.64, for a total value of $749,552.16. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 3,971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $864,248.44. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Matthew Jay Peterson sold 15,141 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.85, for a total transaction of $3,192,479.85. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,253 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,107,595.05. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 21,970 shares of company stock worth $4,653,535 over the last three months. Insiders own 16.10% of the company’s stock.

Universal Health Services Company 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.