Insider Buying: Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) VP Purchases 145 Shares of Stock

Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) VP Brian C. Judkins bought 145 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 30th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $519.50 per share, with a total value of $75,327.50. Following the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 1,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $871,721. This trade represents a 9.46 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Chemed Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CHE traded up $5.03 during trading on Monday, hitting $527.83. The company's stock had a trading volume of 90,427 shares, compared to its average volume of 87,401. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $554.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $563.24. Chemed Co. has a fifty-two week low of $512.12 and a fifty-two week high of $654.62. The company has a market capitalization of $7.94 billion, a PE ratio of 26.67, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.46.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $612.22 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $5.32 earnings per share. Chemed's revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.38%. Chemed's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com raised Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, November 30th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chemed

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 300.3% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 116,572 shares of the company's stock worth $63,249,000 after purchasing an additional 87,449 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chemed during the third quarter valued at $437,150,000. Impax Asset Management Group plc grew its position in shares of Chemed by 19.5% during the second quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 317,943 shares of the company's stock worth $172,510,000 after acquiring an additional 51,974 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chemed by 23.8% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 238,616 shares of the company's stock worth $143,401,000 after acquiring an additional 45,917 shares during the period. Finally, Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lifted its position in Chemed by 22.1% in the 2nd quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 223,134 shares of the company's stock valued at $121,068,000 after purchasing an additional 40,358 shares during the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.