Ausbil Investment Management Ltd Increases Stock Position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Ausbil Investment Management Ltd lifted its position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 105.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,980 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,016 shares during the quarter. Ausbil Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Chemed were worth $1,059,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 300.0% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 52 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new stake in Chemed in the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. American National Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of Chemed during the 3rd quarter valued at about $61,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 60.5% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 138 shares of the company's stock valued at $83,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chemed in the third quarter worth about $201,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.85% of the company's stock.

Chemed Stock Performance

Shares of CHE stock traded up $2.61 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $557.81. The company had a trading volume of 24,725 shares, compared to its average volume of 91,710. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $544.46 and a 200-day moving average of $564.36. The company has a market capitalization of $8.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.17, a PEG ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.48. Chemed Co. has a 12-month low of $512.12 and a 12-month high of $654.62.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Chemed's payout ratio is presently 10.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on CHE shares. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com raised Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, November 30th.

Insider Activity at Chemed

In other Chemed news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 732 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $575.62, for a total value of $421,353.84. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 18,287 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,526,362.94. This represents a 3.85 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins purchased 145 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 30th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $519.50 per share, for a total transaction of $75,327.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the vice president now owns 1,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at $871,721. This represents a 9.46 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 3.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Chemed Company 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.