Value investing is easily one of the most popular ways to find great stocks in any market environment. After all, who wouldn’t want to find stocks that are either flying under the radar and are compelling buys, or offer up tantalizing discounts when compared to fair value?

One way to find these companies is by looking at several key metrics and financial ratios, many of which are crucial in the value stock selection process. Let’s put Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS Quick QuoteUHS - Free Report) stock into this equation and find out if it is a good choice for value-oriented investors right now, or if investors subscribing to this methodology should look elsewhere for top picks:

PE Ratio

A key metric that value investors always look at is the Price to Earnings Ratio, or PE for short. This shows us how much investors are willing to pay for each dollar of earnings in a given stock, and is easily one of the most popular financial ratios in the world. The best use of the PE ratio is to compare the stock’s current PE ratio with: a) where this ratio has been in the past; b) how it compares to the average for the industry/sector; and c) how it compares to the market as a whole.

On this front, Universal Health Services has a trailing twelve months PE ratio of 16.33, as you can see in the chart below:

 

This level actually compares pretty favorably with the market at large, as the PE for the S&P 500 stands at about 20.43. If we focus on the long-term PE trend, Universal Health Services’ current PE level puts it below its midpoint of 17.27 over the past five years. Moreover, the current level stands much below the highs for the stock, suggesting that it could be a good entry point.
 


Further, the stock’s PE also compares favorably with the Zacks classified Medical sector’s trailing twelve months PE ratio, which stands at 18.88. At the very least, this indicates that the stock is relatively undervalued right now, compared to its peers.



We should also point out that Universal Health Services has a forward PE ratio (price relative to this year’s earnings) of just 14.94, so it is fair to say that a slightly more value-oriented path may be ahead for Universal Health Services stock in the near term too.

P/S Ratio

Another key metric to note is the Price/Sales ratio. This approach compares a given stock’s price to its total sales, where a lower reading is generally considered better. Some people like this metric more than other value-focused ones because it looks at sales, something that is far harder to manipulate with accounting tricks than earnings.

Right now, Universal Health Services has a P/S ratio of about 1.20. This is way lower than the S&P 500 average, which comes in at 3.10 right now. Also, as we can see in the chart below, this comes below the highs for this stock in particular over the past few years.



Broad Value Outlook

In aggregate, Universal Health Services currently has a Zacks Value Style Score of ‘A’, putting it into the top 20% of all stocks we cover from this look. This makes Universal Health Services a solid choice for value investors.

What About the Stock Overall?

Though Universal Health Services might be a good choice for value investors, there are plenty of other factors to consider before investing in this name. In particular, it is worth noting that the company has a Growth grade of ‘D’ and a Momentum score of ‘F’. This gives UHS a Zacks VGM score—or its overarching fundamental grade—of ‘C’. (You can read more about the Zacks Style Scores here >>)

However, the company’s recent earnings estimates have been quite discouraging. The current quarter has seen four estimates go lower in the past sixty days compared to none higher, while the full year estimate has seen one estimate go up and six down in the same time period.

This has had a negative impact on the consensus estimate, as the current quarter consensus estimate has dropped by 2.3% in the past two months, while the full year estimate has inched lower by 0.5%. You can see the consensus estimate trend and recent price action for the stock in the chart below:

Universal Health Services, Inc. Price and Consensus
 

In light of these bearish trends, the stock has just a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) which indicates that we are looking for in-line performance from the company in the near term.

Bottom Line

Universal Health Services is an inspired choice for value investors, as it is hard to beat its incredible lineup of statistics on this front. However, with a sluggish industry rank (Bottom 18% out of over 250 industries) and a Zacks Rank #3, it is hard to get too excited about this company overall. In fact, over the past two years, the Zacks classified Medical – Hospitals industry has clearly underperformed the broader market, as you can see below:



Nonetheless, it looks like the broader industry factors are at a turning point and might turn favorable soon. The Hospitals industry has outdone the broader market in the last three months, and if this trend continues, then the stock could be up for a revival. So, value investors might want to wait for estimates and analyst sentiment to turn around in this name first, but once that happens, this stock could be a compelling pick.  

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