Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Shares Sold by Pacer Advisors Inc.

Pacer Advisors Inc. lessened its position in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 22.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 2,239 shares of the company's stock after selling 656 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.'s holdings in Chemed were worth $1,186,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Creative Planning raised its position in Chemed by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 1,228 shares of the company's stock worth $667,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chemed during the second quarter worth $1,955,000. Park Avenue Securities LLC acquired a new position in Chemed during the third quarter valued at $260,000. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its holdings in Chemed by 8.4% in the third quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 3,872 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,327,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Chemed by 60.5% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 138 shares of the company's stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. 95.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CHE has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com upgraded Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, November 30th.

Chemed Stock Down 1.5 %

Shares of CHE stock traded down $8.69 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $554.31. 133,789 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 94,233. Chemed Co. has a 52-week low of $512.12 and a 52-week high of $654.62. The company has a market cap of $8.34 billion, a PE ratio of 28.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.48. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $543.62 and a 200 day moving average of $564.38.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Chemed's payout ratio is currently 10.11%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $572.77, for a total transaction of $1,145,540.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 101,735 shares in the company, valued at $58,270,755.95. This represents a 1.93 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins acquired 145 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 30th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $519.50 per share, for a total transaction of $75,327.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president now owns 1,678 shares in the company, valued at $871,721. The trade was a 9.46 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 3.32% of the company's stock.

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.