EW vs. UHS: Edwards Lifesciences vs. Universal Health Services Stock Comparison
How do Edwards Lifesciences (EW) and Universal Health Services (UHS) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) and Universal Health Services (UHS) both fall under the Health Care Equipment & Services industry group, but EW is classified in Health Care Equipment & Supplies while UHS is classified in Health Care Providers & Services.
| Profile Item | EW | UHS |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Edwards Lifesciences Corporation | Universal Health Services Inc. Class B Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Health Care Equipment & Services | Health Care Equipment & Services |
| GICS Industry | Health Care Equipment & Supplies | Health Care Providers & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Health Care Equipment | Health Care Facilities |
| Market Capitalization | 58.73 billion USD | 11.52 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | March 27, 2000 | July 9, 1981 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | EW | UHS |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 25.08% | -12.89% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 17.28% | 16.25% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -2.77% | 9.70% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | EW | UHS |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 25.58% | 34.26% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.78 | 1.06 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -54.32% | -43.34% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 3.69M | 707.83K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | EW | UHS |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.81 | -0.50 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.23 | -0.70 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Universal Health Services (UHS) at 19.74% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 9.33% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for UHS.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
9.33%
- Max
- 47.61%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- EW
- 9.33%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
UHS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
19.74%
- Max
- 47.61%
- UHS
- 19.74%
- Q3
- 14.36%
- Median
- 5.45%
- Q1
- -10.67%
- Min
- -47.01%
Net Margin (TTM)
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 15.30% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Universal Health Services (UHS) at 7.97%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
15.30%
- Max
- 29.35%
- EW
- 15.30%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- Median
- 2.18%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
UHS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
7.97%
- Max
- 29.35%
- Q3
- 9.33%
- UHS
- 7.97%
- Median
- 2.18%
- Q1
- -6.29%
- Min
- -28.46%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 30.15% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Universal Health Services (UHS) at 9.60%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
30.15%
- Max
- 35.43%
- EW
- 30.15%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- Median
- 6.81%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
UHS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
9.60%
- Max
- 35.43%
- Q3
- 14.14%
- UHS
- 9.60%
- Median
- 6.81%
- Q1
- -0.28%
- Min
- -16.29%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | EW | UHS |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 9.33% | 19.74% |
| ROA (TTM) | 8.77% | 7.65% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.30% | 7.97% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 30.15% | 9.60% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 78.02% | 44.51% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 11.55% and Universal Health Services (UHS) at 9.71% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Universal Health Services (UHS) at 37.34% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at -73.74% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | EW | UHS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 11.55% | 9.71% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.77% | 9.03% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -73.74% | 37.34% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -9.14% | 36.21% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Universal Health Services (UHS) at 1.37 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 4.60 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
4.60
- Max
- 7.59
- EW
- 4.60
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.30
UHS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.37
- Max
- 7.59
- Q3
- 4.00
- Median
- 1.98
- UHS
- 1.37
- Q1
- 1.37
- Min
- 0.30
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 0.06 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Universal Health Services (UHS) at 0.80 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.06
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- EW
- 0.06
- Min
- 0.00
UHS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.80
- Max
- 1.88
- Q3
- 0.91
- UHS
- 0.80
- Median
- 0.58
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | EW | UHS |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 4.60 | 1.37 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.06 | 0.80 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.88 | 2.27 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Universal Health Services (UHS) reports a yield of 0.10%, ranking against industry peers normally.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- EW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UHS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.10%
- UHS
- 0.10%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Edwards Lifesciences (EW) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Universal Health Services (UHS) reports a payout of 3.35%, ranking against industry peers normally.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.00%
- EW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
UHS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
3.35%
- UHS
- 3.35%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | EW | UHS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.10% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 3.35% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Universal Health Services (UHS) at 8.18 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 59.38 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
59.38
- Max
- 80.41
- EW
- 59.38
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- Min
- 4.21
UHS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
8.18
- Max
- 80.41
- Q3
- 47.62
- Median
- 29.93
- Q1
- 21.19
- UHS
- 8.18
- Min
- 4.21
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Universal Health Services (UHS) at 0.63 looks cheap on sales in the lower P/S ratio quartile, while Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 8.80 looks rich in the upper quartile — a clear gap in price per dollar of revenue.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
8.80
- EW
- 8.80
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.10
- Min
- 0.03
UHS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
0.63
- Max
- 8.80
- Q3
- 4.32
- Median
- 2.13
- Q1
- 1.10
- UHS
- 0.63
- Min
- 0.03
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Universal Health Services (UHS) at 1.51 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Edwards Lifesciences (EW) at 5.41 is valued near its industry’s middle — UHS is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.
EW
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
5.41
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- EW
- 5.41
- Median
- 3.00
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- -1.31
UHS
Health Care Equipment & Services industry group
1.51
- Max
- 11.68
- Q3
- 6.12
- Median
- 3.00
- Q1
- 1.73
- UHS
- 1.51
- Min
- -1.31
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EW | UHS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 59.38 | 8.18 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 8.80 | 0.63 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 5.41 | 1.51 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.95% | 6.47% |