U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE:USPH) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the seven research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $99.50.

USPH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Barrington Research raised their target price on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy from $90.00 to $98.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Zacks Research raised U.S. Physical Therapy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Citizens Jmp reiterated a “market outperform” rating and set a $98.00 price objective on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of U.S. Physical Therapy in a report on Monday.

Insider Activity at U.S. Physical Therapy

In other U.S. Physical Therapy news, Director Peter Francis Minan purchased 492 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $63.14 per share, with a total value of $31,064.88. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 2,923 shares in the company, valued at $184,558.22. This represents a 20.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On U.S. Physical Therapy

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 56.4% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 366 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in U.S. Physical Therapy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $39,000. iSAM Funds UK Ltd bought a new stake in U.S. Physical Therapy during the third quarter valued at about $52,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of U.S. Physical Therapy by 75.2% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 785 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 337 shares in the last quarter.

U.S. Physical Therapy Stock Performance

NYSE:USPH opened at $80.98 on Monday. U.S. Physical Therapy has a twelve month low of $58.19 and a twelve month high of $93.50. The firm has a market cap of $1.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 476.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The company has a 50-day moving average of $72.10 and a 200-day moving average of $74.08.

U.S. Physical Therapy (NYSE:USPH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.81 by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $214.06 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $211.36 million. U.S. Physical Therapy had a net margin of 3.97% and a return on equity of 9.39%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.81 EPS. Analysts forecast that U.S. Physical Therapy will post 2.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

U.S. Physical Therapy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.46 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 21st. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.3%. U.S. Physical Therapy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 1,082.35%.

About U.S. Physical Therapy

U.S. Physical Therapy, Inc (NYSE: USPH) is a leading owner and operator of outpatient physical therapy clinics across the United States. The company delivers rehabilitative care to patients recovering from orthopedic injuries, neurological disorders and chronic conditions. Its core services include one-on-one physical therapy sessions, aquatic therapy, occupational therapy, massage therapy and sports medicine programs designed to restore mobility and enhance quality of life.

In addition to traditional rehabilitation services, U.S.