HighTower Advisors LLC Purchases 1,634 Shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 78.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 3,730 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,634 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Chemed were worth $2,246,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. American National Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Chemed during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $61,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Chemed by 60.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Quarry LP boosted its position in Chemed by 721.7% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 189 shares of the company’s stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chemed in the third quarter valued at $201,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Chemed by 2,314.3% in the third quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $203,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 732 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $575.62, for a total transaction of $421,353.84. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 18,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,526,362.94. This represents a 3.85 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director George J. Walsh III sold 400 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $597.47, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 11.61 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 5,132 shares of company stock worth $3,003,502. Company insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Stock Performance

NYSE:CHE opened at $546.69 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $8.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.46. Chemed Co. has a 52 week low of $523.33 and a 52 week high of $654.62. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $570.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $564.64.

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

Chemed Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.37%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.11%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on CHE shares. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com upgraded Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 30th.

About Chemed

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.