OREANDA-NEWS. Fitch Ratings has affirmed the ratings of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE: UHS), including the Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at 'BB+' and the senior secured credit facility and senior secured bond ratings at 'BBB-/RR1'. The Rating Outlook is Stable.

A full list of rating actions, which apply to approximately $3.6 billion of debt outstanding at June 30, 2016, is found at the end of this release.

Low Debt Leverage: Gross debt/EBITDA of 2.1x at June 30, 2016 is the lowest among Fitch-rated hospital companies, driven by management's more conservative balance sheet management and M&A strategy. Fitch expects UHS to operate with gross debt/EBITDA below 3x over the ratings horizon, with temporary increases for moderate-sized M&A possible.