Select Medical (NYSE:SEM) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Buy Rating

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Select Medical (NYSE:SEM) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report issued on Tuesday.

SEM has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Select Medical from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Benchmark downgraded shares of Select Medical from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 25th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Select Medical from $40.00 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $39.50.

Select Medical Trading Up 1.3 %

SEM opened at $18.65 on Tuesday. Select Medical has a fifty-two week low of $18.02 and a fifty-two week high of $40.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.41 billion, a PE ratio of 8.71, a P/E/G ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The company’s 50-day moving average is $26.63 and its 200 day moving average is $32.08.

Select Medical (NYSE:SEM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The health services provider reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.07. Select Medical had a return on equity of 15.99% and a net margin of 3.97%. The company had revenue of $1.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.74 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.46 earnings per share. Select Medical’s revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Select Medical will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Select Medical Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 13th were paid a $0.125 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 13th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.68%. Select Medical’s payout ratio is 23.36%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Robert G. Breighner, Jr. sold 4,989 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.95, for a total value of $99,530.55. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 30,356 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $605,602.20. This represents a 14.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Marilyn B. Tavenner sold 32,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.09, for a total transaction of $674,880.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 22,000 shares in the company, valued at $463,980. This trade represents a 59.26 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 19.14% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Select Medical

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Select Medical by 11.7% in the 2nd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 26,460 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $928,000 after purchasing an additional 2,778 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in Select Medical by 2.6% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 327,170 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $11,471,000 after acquiring an additional 8,194 shares during the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Select Medical in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $926,000. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Select Medical by 2.0% during the second quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 30,544 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $1,071,000 after buying an additional 593 shares during the period. Finally, Certuity LLC purchased a new stake in Select Medical during the second quarter worth about $207,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.48% of the company’s stock.

Select Medical Company Profile

Select Medical Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates critical illness recovery hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and occupational health centers in the United States. It operates in four segments: Critical Illness Recovery Hospital, Rehabilitation Hospital, Outpatient Rehabilitation, and Concentra.