Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Has $63.13 Million Position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its stake in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 119,163 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,173 shares during the period. Chemed makes up 2.3% of Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. owned approximately 0.79% of Chemed worth $63,133,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Chemed in the third quarter worth $437,150,000. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 23.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 238,616 shares of the company's stock valued at $143,401,000 after acquiring an additional 45,917 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 25.3% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 146,017 shares of the company's stock valued at $87,752,000 after acquiring an additional 29,445 shares during the period. Aureus Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 3,147.2% during the third quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 29,939 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,993,000 after acquiring an additional 29,017 shares during the period. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 143.5% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 42,267 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,401,000 after acquiring an additional 24,912 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.85% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a 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 Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 732 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $575.62, for a total value of $421,353.84. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 18,287 shares in the company, valued at $10,526,362.94. This trade represents a 3.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins bought 145 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $519.50 per share, with a total value of $75,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $871,721. This trade represents a 9.46 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 3.32% of the company's stock.

Chemed Trading Down 1.3 %

Shares of Chemed stock traded down $7.51 during trading on Friday, reaching $553.10. The company's stock had a trading volume of 41,026 shares, compared to its average volume of 94,463. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $542.34 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $564.70. Chemed Co. has a one year low of $512.12 and a one year high of $654.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.48.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.36%. Chemed's payout ratio is 10.11%.

About Chemed

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.