Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Receives Consensus Rating of “Buy” from Brokerages

Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) has received a consensus recommendation of “Buy” from the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $107.67.

Several brokerages have commented on EHC. KeyCorp increased their price target on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 15th. Barclays upped their price target on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $116.00 price objective (up from $108.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th.

Insider Activity at Encompass Health

In other Encompass Health news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Encompass Health

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. PharVision Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the fourth quarter valued at about $572,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its holdings in Encompass Health by 18.4% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 367,598 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,948,000 after acquiring an additional 57,130 shares during the last quarter. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in shares of Encompass Health by 44.5% in the fourth quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 184,473 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,036,000 after purchasing an additional 56,817 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 599.0% during the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 127,204 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,747,000 after acquiring an additional 109,007 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Twinbeech Capital LP purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth about $3,893,000. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Encompass Health Trading Down 2.5 %

Encompass Health stock opened at $97.42 on Wednesday. Encompass Health has a 1 year low of $73.68 and a 1 year high of $104.55. The firm has a market cap of $9.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.90. 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 firm’s 50 day moving average price is $95.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $95.96.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. On average, research analysts predict that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued 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 dividend yield of 0.70%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.25%.

Encompass Health Company Profile

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.