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

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Thursday morning.

Several other research firms have also recently issued reports on EHC. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $107.67.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of Encompass Health stock opened at $98.14 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $9.88 billion, a PE ratio of 22.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. Encompass Health has a twelve month low of $78.53 and a twelve month high of $104.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $99.25 and a 200 day moving average price of $97.71.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. Sell-side analysts predict that Encompass Health will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is currently 15.25%.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. The trade was a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encompass Health

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in EHC. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $152,953,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at $100,637,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at $77,944,000. Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new position in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth about $52,094,000. Finally, Farallon Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 15,266.7% during the 4th quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC now owns 461,000 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,573,000 after acquiring an additional 458,000 shares during the period. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Encompass Health

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.