Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Wednesday morning.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $110.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $107.67.

Encompass Health Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of Encompass Health stock opened at $103.17 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $99.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $98.14. Encompass Health has a 52-week low of $78.53 and a 52-week high of $104.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.39 billion, a PE ratio of 23.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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%. On average, analysts expect that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st were issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.25%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the business’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 sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at $6,798,129.56. The trade was a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encompass Health

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Encompass Health during the fourth quarter worth $152,953,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at about $100,637,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Encompass Health during the fourth quarter worth approximately $77,944,000. Jennison Associates LLC bought a new stake in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at $52,094,000. Finally, Farallon Capital Management LLC increased its position in Encompass Health by 15,266.7% during the 4th quarter. Farallon Capital Management LLC now owns 461,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,573,000 after buying an additional 458,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

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.