Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Shares Purchased by First Trust Direct Indexing L.P.

First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 11.9% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,851 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 304 shares during the period. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P.’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $276,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Trillium Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 1st quarter valued at about $4,432,000. TD Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in Encompass Health by 16.0% in the first quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 2,283,674 shares of the company’s stock valued at $188,586,000 after acquiring an additional 314,488 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its position in Encompass Health by 275.7% in the 2nd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 35,799 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,071,000 after purchasing an additional 26,270 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 85.6% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 14,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,232,000 after purchasing an additional 6,627 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,204,000. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Shares of EHC stock opened at $100.23 on Tuesday. Encompass Health Co. has a one year low of $62.58 and a one year high of $102.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.04. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $94.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $89.09. The firm has a market cap of $10.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.21, a P/E/G ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.88.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its earnings results on Monday, October 28th. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 8.10%. Encompass Health’s revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.86 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.28 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, July 24th that permits the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.68%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encompass Health

In other news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the chief financial officer now owns 136,227 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,761,839.18. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Encompass Health from $115.00 to $117.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. UBS Group increased their price target on Encompass Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Encompass Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $109.00 to $116.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Encompass Health has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $107.11.

Encompass Health 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.