Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

by · The Cerbat Gem

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC – Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on the company. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp upped their price target on Encompass Health from $120.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $118.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $120.86.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on EHC

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Shares of EHC opened at $116.12 on Friday. Encompass Health has a 1 year low of $82.74 and a 1 year high of $117.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.69 billion, a PE ratio of 26.04, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.05. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $102.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of $99.39.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.18. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The company had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.43 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.12 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Encompass Health will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.59%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.05%.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In other news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. This represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.79, for a total value of $1,147,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 79,710 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,149,910.90. This represents a 11.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 87.8% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. Colonial Trust Co SC purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Transce3nd LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 38.7% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tompkins Financial Corp purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Encompass Health Corporation provides post-acute healthcare services in the United States and Puerto Rico. It owns and operates inpatient rehabilitation hospitals that provide medical, nursing, therapy, and ancillary services. The company provides specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis to patients who have experienced physical or cognitive disabilities or injuries due to medical conditions, such as strokes, hip fractures, and various debilitating neurological conditions.

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