Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Increases Position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lifted its position in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 22.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 223,134 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 40,358 shares during the quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Chemed were worth $121,068,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Chemed by 2.6% in the second quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 580,316 shares of the company’s stock valued at $314,868,000 after acquiring an additional 14,651 shares in the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Chemed by 2.7% during the 2nd quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 475,372 shares of the company’s stock valued at $257,927,000 after purchasing an additional 12,705 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc lifted its holdings in Chemed by 19.5% in the 2nd quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 317,943 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,510,000 after purchasing an additional 51,974 shares in the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in Chemed by 10.9% in the 2nd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 282,753 shares of the company’s stock worth $153,416,000 after purchasing an additional 27,800 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Trust Walden Corp grew its holdings in Chemed by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 221,440 shares of the company’s stock valued at $120,149,000 after buying an additional 11,036 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Price Performance

Chemed stock opened at $582.06 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $569.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $577.64. Chemed Co. has a 1 year low of $497.36 and a 1 year high of $654.62. The stock has a market cap of $8.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.33, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.44.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $5.47 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.59 by ($0.12). Chemed had a net margin of 12.88% and a return on equity of 29.21%. The company had revenue of $595.88 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $599.20 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.71 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Chemed Co. will post 21.77 EPS for the current year.

Chemed Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is an increase from Chemed’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.34%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is currently 10.76%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $569.63, for a total value of $1,139,260.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 105,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,229,828.05. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Nicholas Michael Westfall sold 1,713 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $569.35, for a total value of $975,296.55. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,109 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,478,159.15. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $569.63, for a total transaction of $1,139,260.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 105,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $60,229,828.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 6,744 shares of company stock valued at $3,828,231 in the last three months. Corporate 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.