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

Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 12th,RTT News reports. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of 0.20 per share by the health services provider on Monday, March 17th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.45%.

Universal Health Services has a payout ratio of 4.0% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Universal Health Services to earn $17.69 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 4.5%.

Universal Health Services Stock Performance

Shares of UHS traded down $6.67 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $179.28. 902,165 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 480,024. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.39. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $185.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $207.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.30. Universal Health Services has a 12 month low of $152.68 and a 12 month high of $243.25.

Insider Transactions at Universal Health Services

In other 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 value of $308,516.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 5,879 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,123,770.85. This represents a 21.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 16.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Universal Health Services from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 9th. TD Cowen reduced 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 note on Tuesday, November 26th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Universal Health Services from $285.00 to $230.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $226.00 target price on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $228.00 to $198.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $226.14.

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.