Raymond James Financial Inc. Acquires Shares of 844,006 Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 844,006 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $77,944,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in Encompass Health by 3.5% in the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 2,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $286,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 3,835 shares of the company’s stock worth $354,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 9.6% in the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,380 shares of the company’s stock worth $127,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted 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 worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SPC Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. SPC Financial Inc. now owns 45,077 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,163,000 after acquiring an additional 154 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Encompass Health Price Performance

NYSE:EHC opened at $99.20 on Monday. Encompass Health Co. has a 52 week low of $74.27 and a 52 week 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 company has a market capitalization of $9.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.24, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $96.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $96.80.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. Equities analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current 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 of this dividend 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%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on EHC. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com raised Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 15th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $107.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encompass Health

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

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.