UHS
Universal Health Services, Inc. Healthcare - Medical Care Facilities Investor Relations →
Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) closed at $218.56 as of 2026-02-02, trading 35.1% above its 200-week moving average of $161.74. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 24.7% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 51, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 2278 weeks of data, UHS has crossed below its 200-week moving average 38 times. On average, these episodes lasted 14 weeks. Historically, investors who bought UHS at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +28.4%.
With a market cap of $13.9 billion, UHS is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 6.0%, which is healthy. Return on equity stands at 20.0%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 1.9x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 15.7% over the past three years.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in UHS would have grown to $12954, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 15.8% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming UHS as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 242.2% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: UHS vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After UHS Crosses Below the Line?
Across 27 historical episodes, buying UHS when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +23.4% after 12 months (median +15.0%), compared to +8.9% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 85% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +32.5% vs +21.0% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment UHS crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
UHS has crossed below its 200-week MA 38 times with an average 1-year return of +28.4% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1982 | Aug 1982 | 9 | 9.5% | +210.7% | +21182.0% |
| Oct 1983 | Jul 1984 | 43 | 34.6% | -10.9% | +14410.4% |
| Sep 1984 | Jan 1985 | 19 | 27.5% | +18.6% | +15548.5% |
| Sep 1985 | Jun 1986 | 38 | 16.3% | +13.8% | +13659.9% |
| Jul 1986 | Aug 1986 | 2 | 1.2% | -41.8% | +12983.2% |
| Oct 1986 | Jun 1989 | 139 | 72.5% | -57.0% | +18459.9% |
| Oct 1989 | Nov 1989 | 5 | 15.6% | -18.8% | +22616.7% |
| Dec 1989 | Dec 1989 | 2 | 1.6% | +4.3% | +22292.2% |
| Apr 1990 | May 1990 | 6 | 8.1% | +70.1% | +23294.8% |
| Aug 1990 | Aug 1990 | 1 | 6.5% | +110.3% | +26925.0% |
| Sep 1990 | Dec 1990 | 11 | 17.0% | +120.3% | +26467.0% |
| Aug 1999 | Jan 2000 | 21 | 39.7% | +84.4% | +2565.7% |
| Feb 2000 | Mar 2000 | 3 | 2.9% | +107.3% | +2380.1% |
| Feb 2003 | Feb 2003 | 1 | 5.4% | +60.7% | +1299.9% |
| Mar 2003 | Mar 2003 | 1 | 0.0% | +21.8% | +1215.7% |
| Apr 2004 | Nov 2004 | 30 | 8.6% | +22.6% | +1015.2% |
| Dec 2004 | Feb 2005 | 8 | 6.0% | +5.7% | +991.6% |
| Oct 2005 | Oct 2005 | 1 | 0.8% | +27.6% | +946.9% |
| Oct 2005 | Nov 2005 | 2 | 1.5% | +19.0% | +952.2% |
| Dec 2005 | Jan 2006 | 4 | 2.1% | +19.3% | +932.7% |
| Jul 2007 | Aug 2007 | 2 | 3.4% | +25.5% | +875.3% |
| Oct 2007 | Nov 2007 | 7 | 4.7% | -17.5% | +854.1% |
| Dec 2007 | Feb 2008 | 8 | 7.8% | -23.2% | +854.5% |
| Sep 2008 | May 2009 | 33 | 39.0% | +18.0% | +822.7% |
| Jun 2009 | Jul 2009 | 4 | 5.5% | +66.2% | +845.0% |
| Jul 2017 | Jan 2018 | 24 | 14.6% | +12.5% | +103.5% |
| Feb 2018 | Feb 2018 | 1 | 0.5% | +14.4% | +96.4% |
| Apr 2018 | Apr 2018 | 1 | 2.7% | +13.4% | +97.9% |
| May 2018 | Jul 2018 | 10 | 5.6% | +3.7% | +92.0% |
| Oct 2018 | Oct 2018 | 1 | 3.2% | +19.7% | +95.4% |
| Dec 2018 | Jan 2019 | 3 | 4.8% | +26.6% | +97.1% |
| May 2019 | Jun 2019 | 1 | 0.9% | -11.3% | +88.7% |
| Feb 2020 | Nov 2020 | 37 | 38.9% | +1.4% | +81.6% |
| Oct 2021 | Nov 2021 | 1 | 2.6% | -5.1% | +80.1% |
| Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | 3 | 4.8% | +4.5% | +80.3% |
| Apr 2022 | Nov 2022 | 29 | 30.8% | +23.5% | +81.8% |
| Feb 2023 | Apr 2023 | 5 | 7.7% | +35.4% | +74.4% |
| Sep 2023 | Oct 2023 | 7 | 2.7% | +85.2% | +75.0% |
| Average | 14 | — | +28.4% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02