Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Rating Lowered to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning.

EHC has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, KeyCorp raised 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $107.67.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of Encompass Health stock traded up $1.52 during trading on Thursday, hitting $98.23. The stock had a trading volume of 409,047 shares, compared to its average volume of 648,397. The firm has a market cap of $9.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. Encompass Health has a 12 month low of $78.53 and a 12 month high of $104.55. The business's 50-day moving average is $99.26 and its 200 day moving average is $97.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84.

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Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Encompass Health will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.69%. Encompass Health's payout ratio is 15.25%.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value 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 $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encompass Health

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC now owns 3,835 shares of the company's stock worth $354,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 9.6% in the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,380 shares of the company's stock worth $127,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 21.6% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 704 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Encompass Health by 38.7% in the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 455 shares of the company's stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in Encompass Health by 87.8% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company's stock.

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.