Universal Health Services 'B'

S&P Global Ratings has raised the outlook for Universal Health Services from “stable” to “positive” and affirmed the issuer rating at “BB+”. For planned senior notes S&P assigned an issue rating of “BBB-” and a recovery rating of “2”. The agency sees room for an upgrade if UHS keeps leverage in the 2.0–3.0x range; the issue is intended to refinance a Sept. 2026 bond of $700m and to finance parts of the Talkspace acquisition. S&P expects slower revenue growth in 2026–2027, a slightly lower adjusted EBITDA margin in 2026, and share buybacks of about $800m in 2026 (up to $1.3bn in 2027), and sees leverage below 2.5x in 2026/2027. » More on de.investing.com

Universal Health Services reported Q2/2026 earnings per share of $5.35, missing the consensus of $5.95, although revenue of $4.64 billion was slightly above estimates. Management trimmed the full-year earnings guidance to $22.28–$23.65 and set the midpoint below the analyst consensus, after which the stock fell sharply in after-hours trading. Analyst downgrades and concerns about staffing shortages, payer mix and Medicaid risks amplified the negative market reaction and cloud the outlook for near-term margin improvement. » More on de.investing.com

The board of directors of Universal Health Services has declared a cash dividend of $0.20 per share, payable on September 15, 2026, to shareholders of record as of September 1, 2026. This marks the company's 24th consecutive year of paying a dividend. The stock is trading around $148.02, close to the 52-week low of $140.08, and the dividend yield is about 0.55%. Universal Health Services operates acute-care hospitals, psychiatric facilities and outpatient care centers in the United States, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. » More on de.investing.com