Ardent Health initiated with a Buy at UBS

UBS analyst AJ Rice initiated coverage of Ardent Health (ARDT) with a Buy rating and $17 price target The company owns a “solid” portfolio of acute care hospitals with opportunity to continue growing its core commercial and Medicare lines of business, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm views the 25% pullback in shares year-to-date as an overreaction to Medicaid payment reductions that will take more than a decade to fully phase in.