KBC Group NV Increases Stock Position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 1,436.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,809 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,431 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Chemed were worth $3,078,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in Chemed by 300.0% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 52 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new stake in Chemed during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. American National Bank & Trust bought a new position in Chemed in the third quarter valued at about $61,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Chemed by 60.5% in 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 last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Chemed in the third quarter worth about $201,000. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE CHE opened at $562.09 on Friday. Chemed Co. has a 52 week low of $512.12 and a 52 week high of $654.62. The company has a market capitalization of $8.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.47. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $544.78 and its 200-day moving average price is $564.03.

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

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.36%. Chemed’s payout ratio is presently 10.11%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on CHE shares. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective 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 upgraded shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 30th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In related news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 732 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $10,526,362.94. This trade represents a 3.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was 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 directly owns 101,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $58,270,755.95. This represents a 1.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Chemed 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.