Capital Research Global Investors Lowers Holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Capital Research Global Investors trimmed its holdings in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 0.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 780,929 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,920 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors owned about 0.78% of Encompass Health worth $72,119,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in Encompass Health by 87.8% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 38.7% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 455 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $46,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 43.8% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 581 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in Encompass Health by 21.6% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 704 shares of the company's stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In other news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. This represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:EHC traded up $11.92 during trading on Friday, hitting $113.33. 2,076,448 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 679,063. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $99.86 and a 200 day moving average of $98.37. The company has a market cap of $11.41 billion, a PE ratio of 25.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.04. Encompass Health Co. has a 52-week low of $81.45 and a 52-week high of $114.27.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.37 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.43 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st were given a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.60%. Encompass Health's payout ratio is 15.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EHC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. StockNews.com cut Encompass Health from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. KeyCorp raised their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $120.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday. William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $118.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $109.11.

About Encompass Health

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.