Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Short Interest Update

Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 265,700 shares, an increase of 9.4% from the November 30th total of 242,800 shares. Approximately 1.8% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 96,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.8 days.

Chemed Stock Performance

NYSE CHE traded up $1.97 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $529.80. The company had a trading volume of 96,008 shares, compared to its average volume of 87,435. The business has a 50 day moving average of $554.32 and a 200-day moving average of $563.24. Chemed has a 1-year low of $512.12 and a 1-year high of $654.62. The company has a market cap of $7.97 billion, a PE ratio of 26.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.46.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $5.76 by ($0.12). Chemed had a return on equity of 27.86% and a net margin of 12.69%. The firm had revenue of $606.18 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $612.22 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.32 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Chemed will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.38%. Chemed's payout ratio is 10.11%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on 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 approximately $58,270,755.95. The trade was a 1.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins bought 145 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 30th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $519.50 per share, for a total transaction of $75,327.50. Following the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 1,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at $871,721. The trade was a 9.46 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 3.32% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chemed

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Chemed in the 3rd quarter valued at $61,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Chemed by 60.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 138 shares of the company's stock worth $83,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Quarry LP raised its position in Chemed by 721.7% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 189 shares of the company's stock worth $103,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Chemed in the third quarter valued at $201,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Chemed by 2,314.3% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 338 shares of the company's stock worth $203,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.85% 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.