Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Sets New 1-Year High at $94.59

Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $94.59 and last traded at $93.85, with a volume of 26594 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $93.25.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on the company. Leerink Partnrs upgraded Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $113.00 to $109.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Encompass Health from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Encompass Health from $83.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Encompass Health presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $100.38.

Encompass Health Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $9.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.35. The company’s fifty day moving average is $89.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $84.77.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $1.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.83% and a net margin of 7.88%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.95 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This is a boost from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is presently 18.38%.

Insider Activity at Encompass Health

In other Encompass Health news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total value of $1,058,528.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 136,227 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,761,839.18. The sale was disclosed in a document filed 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

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Encompass Health by 192.3% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 573 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 377 shares during the last quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. acquired a new position in Encompass Health in the second quarter worth $40,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its stake in Encompass Health by 58.9% during the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 534 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 31.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 616 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 149 shares during the period. 97.25% of the stock is currently 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.