Universal Health Services Inc. (UHS) experienced a significant after-hours plunge of 7.47% on Wednesday. The sharp decline followed the release of the company's fourth-quarter financial results.

The hospital operator reported adjusted earnings per share of $5.88 for the quarter, narrowly missing the analyst consensus estimate of $5.90. Quarterly revenue came in at $4.486 billion, also slightly below the expected $4.502 billion. The misses were attributed to lower-than-expected medical care demand, particularly as subsidies under Affordable Care Act plans expire, impacting patient volumes for elective procedures and preventive visits.

Despite the quarterly shortfall, the company provided a full-year 2026 outlook that was generally above analyst expectations for revenue, forecasting a range of $18.417 billion to $18.789 billion compared to estimates of $18.25 billion. The earnings guidance for 2026 was set between $22.64 and $24.52 per share.