Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" by Brokerages

Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average rating of "Buy" from the eleven brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $107.11.

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on EHC shares. KeyCorp raised their target price on Encompass Health from $115.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Encompass Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Encompass Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Truist Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $116.00 price target (up previously from $108.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Encompass Health from $109.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encompass Health

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in Encompass Health by 387.7% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 317 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in Encompass Health by 53.0% in the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 404 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its stake in Encompass Health by 58.9% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 534 shares of the company's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Encompass Health Price Performance

EHC stock traded down $0.37 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $102.50. 526,223 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 639,791. The company has a market cap of $10.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.86. The stock's 50 day moving average is $98.72 and its 200 day moving average is $91.84. Encompass Health has a 12-month low of $64.15 and a 12-month high of $104.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, October 28th. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.33 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 8.10%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.86 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that Encompass Health will post 4.29 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 16.43%.

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.