Chemed (NYSE:CHE) Sets New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $522.38 and last traded at $524.24, with a volume of 40559 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $524.98.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com raised Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 30th.

Chemed Stock Down 1.2 %

The firm has a market cap of $7.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.20, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $568.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $564.69.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.76 by ($0.12). Chemed had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The firm had revenue of $606.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $612.22 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.32 EPS. Chemed’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 EPS for the current year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.39%. Chemed’s payout ratio is presently 10.11%.

Insider Activity at Chemed

In other news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $598.81, for a total value of $1,197,620.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 103,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,117,555.35. The trade was a 1.89 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director George J. Walsh III sold 400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $597.47, for a total value of $238,988.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,046 shares in the company, valued at $1,819,893.62. The trade was a 11.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 5,132 shares of company stock worth $3,003,502 over the last three months. Company insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Chemed during the 3rd quarter worth $61,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Chemed by 60.5% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP raised its position in shares of Chemed by 721.7% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 189 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chemed during the 3rd quarter valued at $201,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Chemed by 2,314.3% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $203,000 after acquiring an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chemed Company Profile

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.