Argent Capital Management LLC Grows Stake in Select Medical Holdings Co. (NYSE:SEM)

Argent Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Select Medical Holdings Co. (NYSE:SEM - Free Report) by 79.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 55,144 shares of the health services provider's stock after buying an additional 24,471 shares during the quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC's holdings in Select Medical were worth $1,039,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Select Medical by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 416,299 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $14,516,000 after buying an additional 36,905 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Select Medical by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,357,823 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $82,208,000 after purchasing an additional 147,032 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in Select Medical by 12.0% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 69,448 shares of the health services provider's stock worth $2,354,000 after purchasing an additional 7,441 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Select Medical during the 3rd quarter worth about $286,000. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Select Medical during the 3rd quarter worth about $81,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.48% of the company's stock.

Select Medical Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE SEM traded down $0.07 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $19.20. The stock had a trading volume of 594,034 shares, compared to its average volume of 889,475. The firm has a market cap of $2.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.97, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. Select Medical Holdings Co. has a fifty-two week low of $18.02 and a fifty-two week high of $40.98. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $24.34 and a 200-day moving average of $31.32.

Select Medical (NYSE:SEM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 31st. The health services provider reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $1.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.74 billion. Select Medical had a return on equity of 15.99% and a net margin of 3.97%. The business's revenue was up 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Select Medical Holdings Co. will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Select Medical Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 13th were given a dividend of $0.125 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, November 13th. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.60%. Select Medical's payout ratio is 23.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on SEM shares. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Select Medical from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Benchmark downgraded Select Medical from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, November 25th. StockNews.com downgraded Select Medical from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price objective on Select Medical from $40.00 to $21.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $39.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Select Medical news, Director Marilyn B. Tavenner sold 32,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.09, for a total transaction of $674,880.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 22,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $463,980. This trade represents a 59.26 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Robert G. Breighner, Jr. sold 4,989 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.95, for a total value of $99,530.55. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 30,356 shares of the company's stock, valued at $605,602.20. The trade was a 14.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 17.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Select Medical Profile

Select Medical Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates critical illness recovery hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and occupational health centers in the United States. It operates in four segments: Critical Illness Recovery Hospital, Rehabilitation Hospital, Outpatient Rehabilitation, and Concentra.