Short Interest in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Rises By 19.2%

Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) was the target of a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 2,110,000 shares, an increase of 19.2% from the February 13th total of 1,770,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 675,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.1 days. Currently, 2.1% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Encompass Health Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of NYSE EHC traded up $1.46 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $99.10. 513,766 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 632,018. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.22, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $97.60 and a 200 day simple moving average of $97.05. Encompass Health has a twelve month low of $76.11 and a twelve month high of $104.55.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. As a group, equities analysts expect that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.25%.

Insider Activity at Encompass Health

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encompass Health

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of EHC. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $152,953,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $100,637,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $77,944,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in Encompass Health by 2,458.5% in the third quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 869,104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,990,000 after purchasing an additional 835,135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC bought a new position in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $52,094,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on EHC shares. Barclays raised their target price on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp raised their target price on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 15th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $107.67.

About Encompass Health

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.