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Fly News Breaks for December 13, 2018
UHS
Dec 13, 2018 | 17:12 EDT
Goldman Sachs analyst Stephen Tanal downgraded Universal Health Services to Sell from Neutral while raising his price target for the shares to $125 from $120. A "healthy" macro environment helps acute hospitals' commercial mix, but behavioral health providers like Universal Health over-index to Medicaid and Medicare, "leaving them less exposed to the supportive backdrop," Tanal tells investors in a research note. He expects continued pressure on average length of stay for inpatient behavioral facilities amid growing managed care penetration of Medicaid and Medicare admissions. Inpatient behavioral facilities have fewer levers to offset these pressures, says the analyst. He believes shares of Universal Health have "dislocated from softening fundamentals in its key behavioral segment."