April 28 (Reuters) -

U.S. hospital operator Universal Health Services ( UHS )

beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter profit on Monday,

driven by sustained demand for medical care.

A post-pandemic trend of Americans, especially older adults,

opting for elective surgeries have bolstered the sector while

weighing on health insurers.

Larger peer HCA Healthcare ( HCA ) on Friday beat estimates

for quarterly profit, while health insurance bellwether

UnitedHealth ( UNH ) shocked investors with dour earnings on

April 17.

Same-facility adjusted admissions increased by 2.4% at acute

care hospitals during the quarter, while those at behavioral

healthcare facilities fell by 1.6%, Universal Health Services ( UHS )

said.

Quarterly revenue came in at $4.10 billion, missing

estimates of $4.16 billion.

Shares of the company fell 3.1% to $167.56 in extended

trading.

The company did not share any comments on its annual revenue

forecast. Last quarter, it had forecast net revenue for 2025 to

be between $17.02 billion and $17.36 billion.

On average, analysts expect 2025 revenue to be $17.17

billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

For the quarter ended March 31, the King Of Prussia,

Pennsylvania-based company reported quarterly adjusted profit of

$4.84 per share, beating estimates of $4.35 per share.