Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) earnings on April 27, 2026
More Universal Health Services, Inc. earnings
Prior outlook: Pessimistic Outcome: Accurate
The stock jumped early after earnings but gave up all gains and more, ending down nearly 10%. Early optimism quickly turned to heavy selling.
UHS price around the earnings
162.10
Change: -9.6%
2026-04-28, 19:59 UTC
- Price: green if it ends above the starting price; red if it ends below
- Start of the measured window
- Market open
- No trading (market closed)
- Starting price
Prior thesis
Prior outlook: Pessimistic Outcome: Accurate
Analysts cautious — risk outweighs reward
Experts note that while the company has a history of strong earnings, current negative factors like weak stock momentum and potential policy changes are concerning. Retail investors are very optimistic, but this optimism is not supported by the fundamental risks.
Context analyzed before publication
- Summary
- Analysts cautious — risk outweighs reward
- Reasoning
- Experts note that while the company has a history of strong earnings, current negative factors like weak stock momentum and potential policy changes are concerning. Retail investor sentiment is very optimistic, but this optimism is not supported by the fundamental risks.
- Playbook
- The scenario is uncertain given policy concerns and weak momentum, with price action reflecting this hesitation.
- Trend
- Outlook slightly improving over past two sessions
Analysts
Drivers
-
Analysts
Positive
Analysts maintain an optimistic outlook, with price targets citing significant upside. Furthermore, the company has a strong recent track record of exceeding earnings expectations, with profits consistently coming in higher than anticipated.
Evidence
- Analyst consensus
- Buy
- Consensus average (1-5)
- 2.32
- Analysts covering the stock
- 17
- Average price target
- 247.35
- Lowest price target
- 212
- Highest price target
- 320
- Upside to price target
- 37.6%
- Quarterly earnings growth
- 34.2%
- Revenue growth
- 9.1%
- Forward EPS
- 25.61
- Trailing EPS
- 23.09
- Analyst moves in the last 60 days
- 3
- Strong buy: 2
- Buy: 6
- Hold: 10
- Sell: 0
- Strong sell: 1
- Strong buy
- 2
- Buy
- 6
- Hold
- 10
- Sell
- 0
- Strong sell
- 1
- March 2, 2026 · Wells Fargo: Maintains rating (Equal-Weight → Equal-Weight)
- February 27, 2026 · Cantor Fitzgerald: Maintains rating (Neutral → Neutral)
- February 26, 2026 · Barclays: Maintains rating (Overweight → Overweight)
News and sentiment
Drivers
-
News & sentiment
Negative
Current news is dominated by regulatory and political challenges, such as changes to Medicaid funding. This is at odds with very high retail investor optimism, creating a risky situation where investor excitement is not aligned with the actual risks.
Evidence
Sentiment
- Sentiment
- Constructive
- Mention volume
- Low
- Normalized volume
- 33%
News
There is no news coverage available for this event.
Technicals
Drivers
-
Technical
Negative
The stock's price movement over the last 30 days has been weak, and it has performed significantly worse than the broader market. It is currently market review closer to its lower price support level, indicating downward price pressure.
Evidence
- Average true range (ATR)
- 2.2%
- Distance to 52-week high
- -27.0%
- 14-day change (14d)
- +1.0%
- 30-day change
- -3.5%
- 30-day relative strength
- -7.7%
- Benchmark change
- +4.1%
- Nearest support
- 173.79
- Nearest resistance
- 198.94
- Volume accumulation ratio
- 0.83
Trends
Evidence
- Average earnings surprise
- +13.5%
- February 25, 2026: actual EPS 7.06 vs estimate 5.89 (surprise +19.9%)
- October 27, 2025: actual EPS 5.69 vs estimate 4.95 (surprise +14.9%)
- July 28, 2025: actual EPS 5.35 vs estimate 4.96 (surprise +8.0%)
- April 28, 2025: actual EPS 4.84 vs estimate 4.36 (surprise +11.1%)
Expected move
There is no implied-move data available for this event.
Reactions over its last 19 earnings
- Median move
- 5.1%
- 75th percentile move
- 9.1%
- 90th percentile move
- 10.4%
- Up / down moves
- 9 / 10
- Average up move
- +5.1%
- Average down move
- -5.6%
Monitoring and close
What Universal Health Services, Inc. reported
There is no monitoring data available for this event.
Pre-market second reading after the results
There is no second reading available for this event.
How the stock reacted
- Outcome
- Accurate
- Consolidated
- -9.6%
- Max favorable move (MFE)
- 10%
- Max adverse move (MAE)
- 4.2%