7,150 Shares in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Acquired by Crawford Fund Management LLC

Crawford Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 7,150 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,297,000. Chemed accounts for approximately 0.9% of Crawford Fund Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest position.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Chemed by 34.4% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 86 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. American National Bank & Trust purchased a new position in Chemed in the 3rd quarter valued at about $61,000. Mather Group LLC. boosted its position in Chemed by 60.5% in the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 183 shares of the company's stock valued at $99,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its position in Chemed by 721.7% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 189 shares of the company's stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Chemed in the 3rd quarter valued at about $201,000. 95.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In related news, EVP Nicholas Michael Westfall sold 1,713 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $569.35, for a total transaction of $975,296.55. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 6,109 shares in the company, valued at $3,478,159.15. This trade represents a 21.90 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director George J. Walsh III sold 400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $597.47, for a total transaction of $238,988.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 3,046 shares in the company, valued at $1,819,893.62. This represents a 11.61 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 6,845 shares of company stock worth $3,978,798. 3.32% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Chemed Trading Up 0.2 %

CHE traded up $1.08 on Friday, hitting $572.39. 45,669 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 85,970. The firm has a market cap of $8.61 billion, a PE ratio of 28.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.46. Chemed Co. has a twelve month low of $523.33 and a twelve month high of $654.62. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $578.45 and a two-hundred day moving average of $565.06.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.76 by ($0.12). Chemed had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The firm had revenue of $606.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $612.22 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $5.32 EPS. Chemed's revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 EPS for the current year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 18th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.35%. Chemed's payout ratio is currently 10.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. 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 cut shares of Chemed from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd.

Chemed 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.