JPMorgan Chase & Co. Lowers Stake in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased its position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 3.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,822,646 shares of the company's stock after selling 69,075 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 1.81% of Encompass Health worth $168,321,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter valued at about $77,944,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 2,458.5% in the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 869,104 shares of the company's stock worth $83,990,000 after purchasing an additional 835,135 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC bought a new position in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $52,094,000. abrdn plc purchased a new position in Encompass Health during the fourth quarter valued at $17,846,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,404,081 shares of the company's stock worth $960,817,000 after acquiring an additional 138,196 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the firm's 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 transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

EHC has been the subject of several analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays increased their target price on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Encompass Health from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday. One 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. According to data from MarketBeat, Encompass Health presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $107.67.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of Encompass Health stock traded down $3.73 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $98.14. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,218,251 shares, compared to its average volume of 646,649. Encompass Health Co. has a 12-month low of $78.53 and a 12-month high of $104.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.05. The company has a market cap of $9.88 billion, a PE ratio of 22.00, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $99.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $97.75.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. Analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

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

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.