Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Shares Purchased by US Bancorp DE

US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 18.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,259 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 198 shares during the quarter. US Bancorp DE’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $122,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of EHC. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Encompass Health by 275.7% during the 2nd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 35,799 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,071,000 after buying an additional 26,270 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 85.6% during the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 14,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,232,000 after acquiring an additional 6,627 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,204,000. Kennedy Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 19.6% in the 1st quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 99,720 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,235,000 after purchasing an additional 16,318 shares during the period. Finally, Deerfield Management Company L.P. Series C purchased a new position in Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $541,000. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

NYSE EHC opened at $98.84 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $96.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $90.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. Encompass Health Co. has a 52-week low of $63.59 and a 52-week high of $104.55.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 8.10%. Encompass Health’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.86 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.29 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, July 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 16.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Encompass Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Barclays increased their price objective on Encompass Health from $109.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on Encompass Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $115.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $107.11.

Encompass Health Company 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.