Is Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) Potentially Undervalued?

Today we're going to take a look at the well-established Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS). The company's stock saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of US$234 and falling to the lows of US$176. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Universal Health Services' current trading price of US$189 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Let’s take a look at Universal Health Services’s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for Universal Health Services

Is Universal Health Services Still Cheap?

Great news for investors – Universal Health Services is still trading at a fairly cheap price according to our price multiple model, where we compare the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. We’ve used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because there’s not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stock’s ratio of 12.12x is currently well-below the industry average of 23.83x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. What’s more interesting is that, Universal Health Services’s share price is quite volatile, which gives us more chances to buy since the share price could sink lower (or rise higher) in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market.

Can we expect growth from Universal Health Services?

Future outlook is an important aspect when you’re looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so let’s also take a look at the company's future expectations. Universal Health Services' earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 32%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Since UHS is currently below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as capital structure to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on UHS for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its buoyant future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy UHS. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed investment decision.

If you'd like to know more about Universal Health Services as a business, it's important to be aware of any risks it's facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Universal Health Services you should know about.

If you are no longer interested in Universal Health Services, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.