Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. Sells 35,156 Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. lessened its position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 2.7% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,283,628 shares of the company’s stock after selling 35,156 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $106,002,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 3,885 shares of the company’s stock worth $259,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 31.9% during the 1st 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. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 15,473 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,032,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 15,953 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,064,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Finally, Inceptionr LLC increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Inceptionr LLC now owns 9,029 shares of the company’s stock worth $602,000 after purchasing an additional 306 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

NYSE:EHC opened at $86.07 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $8.67 billion, a PE ratio of 23.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 0.89. Encompass Health Co. has a 12 month low of $57.55 and a 12 month high of $87.94. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $85.00 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $77.91.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.19. Encompass Health had a net margin of 7.60% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The company had revenue of $1.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.88 earnings per share. Encompass Health’s quarterly revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.1 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 1st. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.70%. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is 16.22%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on EHC shares. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $101.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $94.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Wednesday, June 5th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $83.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Raymond James reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $95.00 target price (up from $85.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $93.29.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In other news, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 44,976 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.27, for a total transaction of $3,745,151.52. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 554,098 shares in the company, valued at $46,139,740.46. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 14,543 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.94, for a total transaction of $1,220,739.42. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 84,773 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,115,845.62. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 44,976 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.27, for a total transaction of $3,745,151.52. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 554,098 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $46,139,740.46. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 69,519 shares of company stock worth $5,816,091. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

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.