Universal Health Services, Inc. Reports 2017 Fourth Quarter And Full Year Earnings And 2018 Guidance

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Feb. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE: UHS) announced today that its reported net income attributable to UHS was $219.6 million, or $2.31 per diluted share, during the fourth quarter of 2017 as compared to $174.2 million, or $1.78 per diluted share, during the comparable quarter of 2016.  Net revenues increased 6.7% to $2.64 billion during the fourth quarter of 2017 as compared to $2.48 billion during the fourth quarter of 2016.

For the three-month period ended December 31, 2017, our adjusted net income attributable to UHS, as calculated on the attached Schedule of Non-GAAP Supplemental Information ("Supplemental Schedule"), was $189.6 million, or $2.00 per diluted share, as compared to $176.0 million, or $1.80 per diluted share, during the fourth quarter of 2016. 

As reflected on the Supplemental Schedule, included in our reported results during the fourth quarter of 2017, is a net aggregate favorable after-tax impact of $30.0 million, or $.31 per diluted share, consisting of:

• a favorable after-tax impact of $30.0 million, or $.32 per diluted share, resulting from a reduction in our net deferred income tax liability recorded in connection with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "TCJA-17") which reduced the U.S. federal corporate tax rate to 21% from 35%, effective January 1, 2018;
• a favorable after-tax impact of $13.5 million, or $.14 per diluted share, resulting from our January 1, 2017 adoption of ASU 2016-09, "Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2016-09"), as discussed below;
• an unfavorable after-tax impact of $11.3 million, or $.12 per diluted share, due to the one-time repatriation tax incurred pursuant to the TCJA-17 (incurred in connection with our behavioral health care facilities located in the U.K. and Puerto Rico), and;
• an unfavorable after-tax impact of $2.3 million, or $.03 per diluted share, related to the depreciation and amortization expense recorded in connection with the implementation of electronic health records ("EHR") applications at our acute care hospitals.

As calculated on the attached Supplemental Schedule, our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation & amortization ("EBITDA"), increased 7.1% to $447.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2017 as compared to $417.1 million during the fourth quarter of 2016.

Consolidated Results of Operations, As Reported and As Adjusted  – Twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2017 and 2016:

Reported net income attributable to UHS was $752.3 million, or $7.81 per diluted share, during the full year of 2017 as compared to $702.4 million, or $7.14 per diluted share, during 2016. 

Net revenues increased 6.6% to $10.41 billion during 2017 as compared to $9.77 billion during 2016. As calculated on the attached Supplemental Schedule, our EBITDA increased 3.4% to $1.71 billion during 2017 as compared to $1.65 billion during 2016.

As reflected on the Supplemental Schedule, included in our reported results during the full year of 2017, is a net aggregate favorable after-tax impact of $26.8 million, or $.28 per diluted share, consisting of:

• a favorable after-tax impact of $30.0 million, or $.32 per diluted share, resulting from a reduction in our net deferred income tax liability resulting from lower federal income tax rates beginning January 1, 2018 pursuant to the TCJA-17;
• a favorable after-tax impact of $22.1 million, or $.23 per diluted share, resulting from our January 1, 2017 adoption of ASU 2016-09, as discussed below;
• an unfavorable after-tax impact of $11.3 million, or $.12 per diluted share, due to the one-time repatriation tax incurred pursuant to the TCJA of 2017, and;
• an unfavorable after-tax impact of $14.0 million, or $.15 per diluted share, related to the depreciation and amortization expense recorded in connection with the implementation of EHR applications at our acute care hospitals.

Acute Care Services – Three and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2017 and 2016:

During the fourth quarter of 2017, at our acute care hospitals owned during both periods ("same facility basis"), adjusted admissions (adjusted for outpatient activity) increased 7.3% and adjusted patient days increased 5.2%, as compared to the fourth quarter of 2016. Net revenues from our acute care services increased 6.5% during the fourth quarter of 2017 as compared to the comparable quarter of the prior year. At these facilities, net revenue per adjusted admission decreased 0.1% while net revenue per adjusted patient day increased 1.9% during the fourth quarter of 2017 as compared to the comparable quarter of 2016.

During the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2017, at our acute care hospitals on a same facility basis, adjusted admissions increased 5.5% and adjusted patient days increased 2.8%, as compared to the full year of 2016. Net revenues from our acute care services increased 4.7% during the full year of 2017 as compared to 2016. At these facilities, net revenue per adjusted admission decreased 0.3% while net revenue per adjusted patient day increased 2.4% during 2017 as compared to 2016.

We provide care to patients who meet certain financial or economic criteria without charge or at amounts substantially less than our established rates. Because we do not pursue collection of amounts determined to qualify as charity care, they are not reported in net revenues or in accounts receivable, net. Our acute care hospitals provided charity care and uninsured discounts, based on gross charges, amounting to approximately $406 million and $399 million during the three-month periods ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $1.77 billion and $1.45 billion during the twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The provision for doubtful accounts at our acute care hospitals amounted to approximately $182 million and $136 million during the three-month periods ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and $756 million and $628 million during the twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.          

Behavioral Health Care Services – Three and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2017 and 2016:

During the fourth quarter of 2017, at our behavioral health care facilities on a same facility basis, adjusted admissions increased 2.5% while adjusted patient days decreased 0.7% as compared to the fourth quarter of 2016. At these facilities, net revenue per adjusted admission decreased 0.3% while net revenue per adjusted patient day increased 2.9% during the fourth quarter of 2017 as compared to the comparable quarter in 2016. On a same facility basis, our behavioral health care services' net revenues increased 1.6% during the fourth quarter of 2017 as compared to the fourth quarter of 2016.   

During the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2017, at our behavioral health care facilities on a same facility basis, adjusted admissions increased 2.4% while adjusted patient days increased 0.2% as compared to the full year of 2016. At these facilities, net revenue per adjusted admission decreased 0.4% while net revenue per adjusted patient day increased 1.9% during the full year of 2017 as compared to 2016. On a same facility basis, our behavioral health care services' net revenues increased 1.7% during 2017 as compared to 2016.   

Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities and Share Repurchase Program:

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2017, our net cash provided by operating activities was $1.18 billion as compared to $1.33 billion generated during the full year of 2016. The $151 million decrease was due to: (i) a $144 million unfavorable change in cash flows from foreign currency forward exchange contracts related to our investments in the U.K; (ii) a $90 million unfavorable change in other working capital accounts resulting primarily from changes in accounts payable and accrued expenses due to timing of disbursements, partially offset by; (iii) $83 million of other net favorable changes including a $63 million favorable change in accounts receivable.

In November of 2017, our Board of Directors authorized a $400 million increase to our stock repurchase program, which increased the aggregate authorization to $1.2 billion from the previous $800 million authorization approved during 2016 and 2014.  Pursuant to this program, we may purchase shares of our Class B Common Stock, from time to time as conditions allow, on the open market or in negotiated private transactions. 

In conjunction with this program, during the fourth quarter of 2017, we have repurchased approximately 1.0 million shares at an aggregate cost of $100.8 million (approximately $100 per share).  During the twelve months of 2017, we have repurchased approximately 2.96 million shares at an aggregate cost of $322.2 million (approximately $109 per share). Since inception of the program through December 31, 2017, we have repurchased approximately 7.35 million shares at an aggregate cost of $836.3 million (approximately $114 per share). 

2018 Full Year Guidance Range:

Reflected below is our 2018 guidance range for consolidated net revenues, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation & amortization ("EBITDA"), earnings per diluted share ("EPS-diluted") and capital expenditures.  EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure and should be examined in connection with net income determined in accordance with GAAP as presented in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in this report or in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including our Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. Please see the Supplemental Non-GAAP Disclosures - 2018 Operating Results Forecast schedule as included herein for additional information and a reconciliation to the financial forecasts as computed in accordance with GAAP. 

Our 2018 guidance contains a number of assumptions including, but not limited to, the following:

• This guidance excludes the impact of future items, if applicable, that are nonrecurring or non-operational in nature including items such as, but not limited to, the impact of gains/losses on sales of assets and businesses, costs related to extinguishment of debt, reserves for settlements, legal judgments and lawsuits, impairments of long-lived assets, impact of share repurchases that differ from included assumptions and other material amounts that may be reflected in our financial statements that relate to prior periods. It is also subject to certain conditions including those as set forth below in General Information, Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors and Non-GAAP Financial Measures.
• Our net revenues are estimated to be approximately $10.923 billion to $11.063 billion representing an increase of approximately 5% to 6% over our 2017 net revenues of approximately $10.410 billion.
• This adjusted EPS-diluted guidance range represents an increase of approximately 23% to 31% over the adjusted net income attributable to UHS of $7.53 per diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2017, as calculated on the attached Supplemental Schedule.
• This adjusted EPS-diluted guidance range includes the estimated favorable impact on our 2018 provision for income taxes and net income attributable to UHS, resulting from the TCJA-17, amounting to approximately $142 million to $152 million, or $1.52 to $1.63 per diluted share.
• This guidance range, like our adjusted earnings for 2017 as discussed above, excludes the impact on our provision for income taxes and net income attributable to UHS resulting from of our January 1, 2017 adoption of ASU 2016-09, as discussed below.

Adoption of ASU 2016-09:

Effective January 1, 2017, we adopted ASU 2016-09, "Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting", which amends the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions to require recognition of the tax effects resulting from the settlement of stock-based awards as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement in the reporting period in which they occur.  In connection with the adoption of ASU 2016-09, during the three and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2017, we recorded reductions to our provision for income taxes of $13.5 million and $22.1 million, respectively, which resulted in a corresponding increases in our net income attributable to UHS of $13.5 million, or $.14 per diluted share, during the fourth quarter of 2017 and $22.1 million, or $.23 per diluted share, during the full year of 2017.

Since the impact of ASU 2016-09 on our future financial statements is dependent upon the timing of stock option exercises, and the market price of our stock at the time of exercise, we are unable to estimate the impact this adoption will have on our future provision for income taxes and net income attributable to UHS.  This reporting change is applied prospectively, effective as of January 1, 2017, with the exception of the change in the presentation of the excess income tax benefits related to stock-based compensation in the Statement of Cash Flows, which was applied retrospectively.    

Conference call information: 

We will hold a conference call for investors and analysts at 9:00 a.m. eastern time on March 1, 2018. The dial-in number is 1-877-648-7971. 

A live broadcast of the conference call will be available on our website at www.uhsinc.com.  A replay of the call will be available following the conclusion of the live call and will be available for one full year.

General Information, Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors and Non-GAAP Financial Measures:

One of the nation's largest and most respected hospital companies, Universal Health Services, Inc. ("UHS") has built an impressive record of achievement and performance. Growing steadily since its inception into an esteemed Fortune 500 corporation, UHS today has annual revenue exceeding $10 billion. In 2017, UHS was recognized as one of the World's Most Admired Companies by Fortune; ranked #276 on the Fortune 500, and listed #275 in Forbes inaugural ranking of America's Top 500 Public Companies.

Our operating philosophy is as effective today as it was 40 years ago, enabling us to provide compassionate care to our patients and their loved ones: Build or acquire high quality hospitals in rapidly growing markets, invest in the people and equipment needed to allow each facility to thrive, and become the leading healthcare provider in each community we serve.

Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, UHS has more than 83,000 employees and through its subsidiaries operates 326 inpatient acute care hospitals and behavioral health facilities and 32 outpatient and other facilities located in 37 states, Washington, D.C., the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It acts as the advisor to Universal Health Realty Income Trust, a real estate investment trust (NYSE:UHT).  For additional information on the Company, visit our web site: http://www.uhsinc.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current management expectations.  Numerous factors, including those disclosed herein, those related to healthcare industry trends and those detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (as set forth in Item 1A-Risk Factors and in Item 7-Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017), may cause the results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.  Many of the factors that will determine our future results are beyond our capability to control or predict. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and therefore actual results may differ materially.  Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements which reflect management's view only as of the date hereof.  We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

We believe that operating income, operating margin, adjusted net income attributable to UHS, adjusted net income attributable to UHS per diluted share and EBITDA, which are non-GAAP financial measures ("GAAP" is Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States of America), are helpful to our investors as measures of our operating performance. In addition, we believe that, when applicable, comparing and discussing our financial results based on these measures, as calculated, is helpful to our investors since it neutralizes the effect in each year of material items related to the implementation of EHR applications at our acute care hospitals, the impact on our 2017 provision for income taxes and net income attributable to UHS resulting from the TCJA-17, the impact on our provision for income taxes and net income attributable to UHS resulting from our adoption of ASU 2016-09, and other potential items that are nonrecurring or non-operational in nature including, but not limited to, costs related to extinguishment of debt, gains/losses on sales of assets and businesses, reserves for settlements, legal judgments and lawsuits, impairments of long-lived assets, and other material amounts that may be reflected in the current or prior year financial statements that relate to prior periods.  To obtain a complete understanding of our financial performance these measures should be examined in connection with net income, determined in accordance with GAAP, as presented in the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in this report or in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including our Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. Since the items included or excluded from these measures are significant components in understanding and assessing financial performance under GAAP, these measures should not be considered to be alternatives to net income as a measure of our operating performance or profitability. Since these measures, as presented, are not determined in accordance with GAAP and are thus susceptible to varying calculations, they may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. Investors are encouraged to use GAAP measures when evaluating our financial performance.

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