Trexquant Investment LP Purchases New Position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 42,068 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,885,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,679,774 shares of the company's stock valued at $155,176,000 after buying an additional 6,164 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in Encompass Health by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 786,469 shares of the company's stock worth $72,630,000 after acquiring an additional 86,448 shares in the last quarter. Summit Financial LLC acquired a new position in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter worth about $212,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,076,869 shares of the company's stock worth $191,799,000 after purchasing an additional 117,617 shares during the period. Finally, C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 73.6% in the fourth quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. now owns 750 shares of the company's stock valued at $69,000 after acquiring an additional 318 shares during the period. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on EHC shares. StockNews.com lowered Encompass Health from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp lifted their price target on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $110.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Encompass Health has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $107.67.

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Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. This represents a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Encompass Health Stock Down 2.1 %

Encompass Health stock traded down $2.15 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $101.05. The company had a trading volume of 277,120 shares, compared to its average volume of 655,466. The firm's fifty day moving average is $99.51 and its 200-day moving average is $97.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. Encompass Health Co. has a fifty-two week low of $78.53 and a fifty-two week high of $104.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 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%. On average, research analysts forecast that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.67%. Encompass Health's payout ratio is 15.25%.

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.