Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Shares Acquired by Fifth Third Bancorp

Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 12.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,934 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 531 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp's holdings in Chemed were worth $2,614,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp increased its stake in Chemed by 0.8% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 464,354 shares of the company's stock worth $279,063,000 after acquiring an additional 3,564 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Chemed by 4.9% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 335,443 shares of the company's stock valued at $201,820,000 after buying an additional 15,791 shares during the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc grew its stake in shares of Chemed by 4.7% during the third quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 332,757 shares of the company's stock valued at $199,977,000 after buying an additional 14,814 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its stake in shares of Chemed by 23.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 238,616 shares of the company's stock valued at $143,401,000 after buying an additional 45,917 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TimesSquare Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Chemed by 7.5% during the third quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 167,135 shares of the company's stock valued at $100,443,000 after buying an additional 11,595 shares during the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Chemed Stock Performance

Chemed stock traded up $0.75 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $562.09. 109,625 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 95,306. The business has a fifty day moving average of $544.95 and a 200 day moving average of $563.86. The firm has a market cap of $8.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.40, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.47. Chemed Co. has a 12-month low of $512.12 and a 12-month high of $654.62.

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

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.36%. Chemed's dividend payout ratio is presently 10.11%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Brian C. Judkins purchased 145 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $519.50 per share, with a total value of $75,327.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $871,721. This trade represents a 9.46 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $572.77, for a total value of $1,145,540.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 101,735 shares in the company, valued at $58,270,755.95. This represents a 1.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.32% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com raised Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, November 30th.

Chemed Company 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.