Cetera Investment Advisers Acquires 664 Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 5.7% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,353 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 664 shares during the quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers’ holdings in Encompass Health were worth $1,060,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in EHC. Oakworth Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the second quarter worth $40,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its stake in Encompass Health by 58.9% during the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 534 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Encompass Health by 31.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 616 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the second quarter worth about $58,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the second quarter worth about $60,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In related news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owns 136,227 shares in the company, valued at $11,761,839.18. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

NYSE:EHC opened at $96.90 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $92.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $87.67. Encompass Health Co. has a twelve month low of $57.55 and a twelve month high of $98.74. The stock has a market cap of $9.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.19, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 1.35, a current ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.30 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.83% and a net margin of 7.88%. The company’s revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.95 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Wednesday, July 24th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to buy up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st were paid a $0.17 dividend. This is a boost from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, October 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is 18.38%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Encompass Health from $104.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. KeyCorp began coverage on Encompass Health in a research report on Friday, October 11th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $115.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Encompass Health from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 26th. Finally, Leerink Partners began coverage on Encompass Health in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Encompass Health currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $104.67.

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.