Barclays PLC Increases Stock Holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 89.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 115,045 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 54,167 shares during the quarter. Barclays PLC owned about 0.11% of Encompass Health worth $10,624,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in Encompass Health by 87.8% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Encompass Health by 38.7% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 455 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp acquired a new stake in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at about $46,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 43.8% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 581 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC increased its position in Encompass Health by 21.6% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 704 shares of the company's stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Barclays raised their price target on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Encompass Health from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp upped their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $107.67.

Encompass Health Trading Up 2.9 %

Shares of EHC opened at $98.95 on Wednesday. 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 Co. has a 1-year low of $80.49 and a 1-year high of $104.55. The stock has a market cap of $9.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $99.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $98.31.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. Equities analysts forecast that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st were paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio is currently 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EHC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.