Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMED) Short Interest Up 37.8% in October

Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMED - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of October. As of October 31st, there was short interest totalling 2,260,000 shares, a growth of 37.8% from the October 15th total of 1,640,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 387,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 5.8 days. Currently, 7.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Amedisys Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of AMED stock traded down $0.20 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $90.29. 363,629 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 357,278. The stock has a market cap of $2.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.78. The stock's fifty day moving average is $96.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $95.81. Amedisys has a 52-week low of $89.55 and a 52-week high of $98.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.19.

Amedisys (NASDAQ:AMED - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 6th. The health services provider reported $1.00 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.19). The firm had revenue of $587.67 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $586.75 million. Amedisys had a return on equity of 12.20% and a net margin of 3.57%. Amedisys's revenue for the quarter was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.98 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Amedisys will post 4.66 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of Amedisys from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $101.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Monday, July 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and set a $101.00 price objective on shares of Amedisys in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $100.67.

Institutional Trading of Amedisys

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in Amedisys by 413.4% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 196,713 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $18,985,000 after purchasing an additional 158,398 shares during the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC increased its position in Amedisys by 608.1% during the 3rd quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 114,774 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $11,077,000 after purchasing an additional 98,565 shares in the last quarter. Westchester Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Amedisys by 9.5% in the 3rd quarter. Westchester Capital Management LLC now owns 1,118,802 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $107,976,000 after buying an additional 97,476 shares during the last quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Amedisys by 34.7% in the 2nd quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC now owns 323,200 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $29,670,000 after purchasing an additional 83,200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Murchinson Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Amedisys during the 1st quarter valued at about $6,752,000. 94.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Amedisys

Amedisys, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides healthcare services in the United States. It operates through three segments: Home Health, Hospice, and High Acuity Care. The Home Health segment offers a range of services in the homes of individuals for the recovery of patients from surgery, chronic disability, or terminal illness, as well as prevents avoidable hospital readmissions through its skilled nurses; nursing services, rehabilitation therapists specialized in physical, speech, and occupational therapy; and social workers and aides for assisting its patients.