Chemed (NYSE:CHE) Sets New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)’s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $512.12 and last traded at $517.44, with a volume of 124631 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $523.16.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com raised shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 30th.

Chemed Trading Up 0.5 %

The stock has a market capitalization of $7.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.46. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $561.08 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $563.73.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.76 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $606.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $612.22 million. Chemed had a return on equity of 27.86% and a net margin of 12.69%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $5.32 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Chemed’s payout ratio is presently 10.11%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $572.77, for a total value of $1,145,540.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 101,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $58,270,755.95. This represents a 1.93 % 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. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 732 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $575.62, for a total transaction of $421,353.84. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chemed

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CHE. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in Chemed by 78.0% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,730 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,246,000 after purchasing an additional 1,634 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in Chemed by 110.0% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 10,638 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,801,000 after buying an additional 5,572 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd grew its holdings in Chemed by 111.5% during the 3rd quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 2,843 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,709,000 after acquiring an additional 1,499 shares during the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Chemed in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $7,812,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Chemed by 634.3% during the second quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 1,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,080,000 after acquiring an additional 1,719 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Company Profile

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.