Epoch Investment Partners Inc. Has $133.64 Million Stock Holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Epoch Investment Partners Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 5.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 252,237 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,167 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Chemed were worth $133,635,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in Chemed by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 52 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Atala Financial Inc bought a new position in shares of Chemed during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Chemed by 64.7% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 56 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in Chemed in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Tortoise Investment Management LLC grew its position in Chemed by 77.3% in the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 78 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have issued reports on CHE. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Chemed from $633.00 to $667.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. StockNews.com raised shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th.

Chemed Stock Performance

Shares of CHE stock opened at $580.52 on Friday. Chemed Co. has a 52 week low of $512.12 and a 52 week high of $623.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.48 billion, a PE ratio of 29.33, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.49. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $585.78 and its 200-day moving average is $567.83.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.05%.

Insider Transactions at Chemed

In related news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.67, for a total value of $1,187,340.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 102,679 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,957,441.93. This trade represents a 1.91 % 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. 3.32% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Chemed Profile

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.