35,261 Shares in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Bought by Leuthold Group LLC

Leuthold Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 35,261 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,025,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the second quarter valued at $40,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in Encompass Health by 192.3% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 573 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 377 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 31.9% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 616 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 149 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter valued at about $60,000. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Encompass Health Stock Up 1.2 %

NYSE:EHC opened at $92.44 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $9.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.88. Encompass Health Co. has a twelve month low of $57.55 and a twelve month high of $94.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $89.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $85.08.

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

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be issued a $0.17 dividend. This is a positive change from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.74%. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is presently 18.38%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Leerink Partners started coverage on Encompass Health in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Leerink Partnrs upgraded Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. UBS Group raised their price target on Encompass Health from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $113.00 to $109.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $100.38.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Encompass Health news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total transaction of $1,058,528.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 136,227 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,761,839.18. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.