Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.17

Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 20th, RTT News reports. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of 0.17 per share on Thursday, April 17th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st.

Encompass Health has decreased its dividend by an average of 17.0% per year over the last three years. Encompass Health has a dividend payout ratio of 12.8% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Encompass Health to earn $5.28 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.68 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 12.9%.

Encompass Health Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of EHC traded up $1.33 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $98.86. The company's stock had a trading volume of 292,005 shares, compared to its average volume of 648,821. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.17, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.90. The company's 50-day moving average is $95.98 and its 200-day moving average is $95.96. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. Encompass Health has a 52-week low of $73.68 and a 52-week high of $104.55.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Encompass Health

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,798,129.56. The trade was a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Truist Financial reissued a "buy" rating and set a $116.00 target price (up previously from $108.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp increased their price objective on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Encompass Health from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 15th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $107.67.

Encompass Health Company Profile

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.