Sifting through countless of stocks in the Health Care Providers & Services industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc.

DaVita Inc. provides kidney dialysis services for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure in the United States. The company operates kidney dialysis centers and provides related lab services in outpatient dialysis centers. It also offers outpatient, hospital inpatient, and home-based hemodialysis dialysis services; operates clinical laboratories that provide routine laboratory tests for dialysis and other physician-prescribed laboratory tests for ESRD patients; and management and administrative services to outpatient dialysis centers. In addition, the company offers integrated care and disease management services to patients in risk-based and other integrated care arrangements; clinical research programs; physician services; and comprehensive kidney care services. Further, it engages in the transplant software business. The company was formerly known as DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. and changed its name to DaVita Inc. in September 2016. DaVita Inc. was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Universal Health Services, Inc., through its subsidiaries, owns and operates acute care hospitals, and outpatient and behavioral health care facilities in the United States. It operates through Acute Care Hospital Services and Behavioral Health Care Services segments. The company’s hospitals offer general and specialty surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, emergency room care, radiology, oncology, diagnostic and coronary care, pediatric, pharmacy, and/or behavioral health services. It also provides commercial health insurance services; capital resources; and various management services, including central purchasing, information services, finance and control systems, facilities planning, physician recruitment, administrative personnel management, marketing, and public relations services. Universal Health Services, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

Latest Health Care Providers & Services and DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services, Inc. Stock News

As of September 4, 2026, DaVita Inc. had a $11.7 billion market capitalization, compared to the Health Care Providers & Services median of $1.8 million. DaVita Inc.’s stock is NA in 2026, NA in the previous five trading days and up 35.73% in the past year.

Currently, DaVita Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 15.7. DaVita Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $14.0 billion with a 6.0% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 5.2%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $14.845 per share for the current fiscal year. DaVita Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

Currently, Universal Health Services, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 6.9. Universal Health Services, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $18.1 billion with a 8.4% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 8.3%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $22.527 per share for the current fiscal year. Universal Health Services, Inc. currently has a 0.5% dividend yield.

How We Compare DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

Learn more about A+ Investor here!

Sign Up to Receive a Free Special Report Showing How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Smarter Investment Decisions

DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc.’s Quality Grades

Company	Ticker	Quality
DaVita Inc.	DVA	A
Universal Health Services, Inc.	UHS	A

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

DaVita Inc. has a Quality Score of 85, which is Very Strong. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a Quality Score of 93, which is Very Strong.

The Quality Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Quality Grade breakdown above, both DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc. have a grade of A. For investors who focus solely on a company’s overall quality, you will need to conduct further research into both companies to see if they are a good fit for your portfolio. As a good rule of thumb, you should always analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before choosing a company to invest in.

DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
DaVita Inc.	DVA	B
Universal Health Services, Inc.	UHS	C

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

DaVita Inc. has a Momentum Score of 61, which is Strong. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 49, which is Average.

The Momentum Grade Winner: DaVita Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, DaVita Inc. is considered to have stronger momentum compared to Universal Health Services, Inc.. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, DaVita Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
DaVita Inc.	DVA	C
Universal Health Services, Inc.	UHS	D

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

DaVita Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 50, which is Neutral. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 29, which is Negative.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services or Inc. has an Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade that could be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services or Inc. is the better investment when it comes to estimate revisions.

Other DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc. Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Momentum and Quality, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Growth.

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services or Inc. Stock?

Overall, DaVita Inc. stock has a Momentum Score of 61, Estimate Revisions Score of 50 and Quality Score of 85.

Universal Health Services, Inc. stock has a Momentum Score of 49, Estimate Revisions Score of 29 and Quality Score of 93.

Comparing DaVita Inc., Universal Health Services and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.