UHS

Company Overview: Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) is a large-cap healthcare provider with a market cap of nearly $12 billion, operating various facilities across the U.S. and U.K., primarily focusing on acute care and behavioral health services. Despite recent stock declines, it has shown signs of recovery and reported strong fourth-quarter earnings.

Market Performance: UHS has underperformed compared to the broader market over the past year due to concerns about Medicaid reimbursements and rising costs, but analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" rating with a price target suggesting potential growth.

Cintas Performance: Cintas shares rose by 9.3% in early trading, marking a year-to-date gain of 15.8%, making it one of the best performers in the S&P 500 index.

Stryker and Other Movers: Stryker was the worst performer of the day, down 2.4%, but has a year-to-date gain of 1.1%. Universal Health Services also fell by 2.4%, while Paychex increased by 2.5%.

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Put Selling and Investment Risks: Selling a put option on Universal Health Services, Inc. provides limited upside potential compared to owning shares directly, as the seller only benefits from the premium unless the stock price falls significantly. The annualized return from selling the put (9.3%) exceeds the dividend yield (0.5%), but buying the stock carries greater downside risk.

Market Activity and Options Trading: Recent trading data shows an equal volume of puts and calls among S&P 500 components, indicating a higher than normal interest in put options, suggesting a cautious market sentiment among investors.

Event Participation: Steve Filton, CFO of Universal Health Services, will participate in a fireside chat at the KeyBanc Capital Markets Virtual Healthcare Forum on March 18, 2025, with a live webcast available on the company's website.

Company Overview: Universal Health Services, Inc. is a major provider of hospital and healthcare services in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.K., operating various types of healthcare facilities.

Real-time Market Intelligence: Benzinga Pro offers the fastest and most accurate stock market alerts, helping traders stay informed and make winning trades daily.

Community of Traders: Over 10,000 serious traders are part of the Benzinga Pro community, gaining access to exclusive stories and insights from Benzinga reporters.

Wells Fargo's Price Target Adjustment: Wells Fargo has lowered the price target for Universal Health (UHS) from $230 to $225 while maintaining an Overweight rating, citing increased uncertainty despite strong Q4 results and core guidance exceeding estimates.

Investment Opportunities: The article highlights the potential for investors to discover top-rated stocks through TipRanks’ Stock Screener, emphasizing the importance of analyst ratings in maximizing portfolio performance.

Event Announcement: Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) will present at the TD Cowen 45th Annual Health Care Conference in Boston, MA on March 3, 2025, starting at 9:10 AM ET.

Webcast Access: The live webcast of the event can be accessed through UHS's investor relations website.

Technology Sector Performance: The Technology & Communications sector is underperforming with a 1.0% loss, led by NetApp, Inc. down 16.7% and HP Inc down 8.9%. The Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) is also down 0.8% on the day and 5.03% year-to-date.

Healthcare Sector Performance: The Healthcare sector shows a 0.8% loss, with Universal Health Services, Inc. down 8.3% and HCA Healthcare Inc down 6.2%. The Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) is down 0.3% for the day but up 6.64% year-to-date.

Impact on Hospital Operators: Shares of hospital operators declined following reports that GOP lawmakers are seeking to limit federal matching funds for Medicaid, which could affect the financial stability of healthcare providers reliant on these funds.

Acadia Healthcare's Performance: Acadia Healthcare's stock dropped significantly after its Q4 2024 financial results and 2025 outlook did not meet market expectations, contributing to a broader trend of declining shares among Medicaid-focused insurers.

Validea's Low PE Investor Model: Universal Health Services Inc (UHS) received an upgrade in its rating from 62% to 81% based on John Neff's investment strategy, indicating strong interest due to the company's fundamentals and valuation.

About John Neff and Validea: John Neff, known for his conservative investment approach, achieved significant returns managing the Windsor Fund, while Validea provides stock analysis based on strategies of successful investors like Neff.

Market Performance: Major U.S. stock indexes, including the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, fell to six-week lows amid concerns over inflation, rising tariffs, and disappointing earnings from key companies like Nvidia, leading to a broader market sell-off.

Economic Indicators: The U.S. economy showed mixed signals with upward revisions in Q4 GDP and core PCE price index, while jobless claims rose unexpectedly and pending home sales saw their largest decline in nine months, indicating potential challenges ahead for growth and inflation management.

Market Performance: The S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq 100 indexes experienced declines today, with the Nasdaq hitting a 6-week low due to disappointing earnings from chip stocks and concerns over new tariffs announced by President Trump, alongside rising inflation pressures and increased jobless claims.

Economic Indicators: Despite early support from strong Q4 GDP figures and better-than-expected capital goods orders, the labor market showed signs of weakness with a rise in weekly jobless claims and a significant drop in pending home sales, leading to mixed reactions in both US and overseas stock markets.

Market Overview: The S&P 500 is down slightly, while the Dow Jones is up; mixed performance in stock indexes with the Nasdaq 100 hitting a 6-week low due to disappointing chip earnings and concerns over new tariffs announced by President Trump. Economic indicators show rising jobless claims and declining pending home sales, alongside stronger-than-expected capital goods orders.

Stock Movements: Warner Bros Discovery and Snowflake saw significant gains after positive earnings reports, while companies like Teleflex and eBay faced sharp declines due to weaker forecasts or disappointing results. The overall market sentiment remains cautious amid inflation concerns and upcoming economic data releases.

Market Performance: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes declined due to President Trump's announcement of new tariffs, while the Dow Jones saw a slight increase; inflation concerns were heightened by an upward revision of the Q4 core PCE price index and rising jobless claims.

Stock Movements: Warner Bros Discovery and Snowflake led gains in the stock market with strong earnings reports, while Teleflex and Viatris experienced significant losses after disappointing forecasts.

Upcoming Ex-Dividend Dates: Clearway Energy Inc, Universal Health Services, and McKesson Corp will trade ex-dividend on March 3, 2025, with respective dividends of $0.4312, $0.20, and $0.71 to be paid on March 17 and April 1, 2025.

Dividend Yield Expectations: Estimated annual yields based on recent stock prices are 6.22% for Clearway Energy, 0.44% for Universal Health Services, and 0.46% for McKesson Corp, indicating varying levels of dividend stability among these companies.

Conference Call Announcement: Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) will hold a conference call on February 27, 2025, at 10:00 AM ET to discuss their Q4 24 earnings results.

Access Information: The live webcast for the earnings conference call can be accessed via the provided link: https://ir.uhs.com/events/event-details/q4-2024-universal-health-services-earnings-conference-call.

Market Performance: The S&P 500 closed slightly up while the Dow Jones fell, with notable gains in tech stocks ahead of Nvidia's earnings report. Positive corporate news from companies like Axon Enterprise and Intuit contributed to market support, despite some economic disappointments and hawkish comments from the Atlanta Fed President.

Economic Indicators: Upcoming economic reports are expected to show modest growth, with a projected increase in Q4 GDP and slight easing in inflation measures. However, new home sales dropped significantly, and mortgage applications declined, indicating potential challenges in the housing market.

Earnings Performance: Universal Health Services reported a Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $4.92, exceeding expectations by $0.74, with revenue reaching $4.11 billion, an 11.1% increase year-over-year, surpassing estimates by $100 million.

Market Analysis: The company is viewed as a quality GARP (Growth at a Reasonable Price) investment with significant upside potential, despite recent downgrades from Goldman Sachs.

Market Performance: Major U.S. stock indexes are up today, driven by gains in chip stocks and positive corporate earnings reports, with notable increases from Super Micro Computer, Axon Enterprise, and Intuit.

Economic Developments: House Republicans passed a budget blueprint that could lead to significant tax cuts and increased debt limits, while bond yields rose; however, disappointing economic data on new home sales and mortgage applications weighed on market sentiment.