KBC Group NV Acquires 5,431 Shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

KBC Group NV grew its holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 1,436.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,809 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 5,431 shares during the period. KBC Group NV's holdings in Chemed were worth $3,078,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of CHE. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Chemed by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,921 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,018,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. KFG Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Chemed by 14.9% during the 4th quarter. KFG Wealth Management LLC now owns 502 shares of the company's stock valued at $266,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Fenimore Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in Chemed by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Fenimore Asset Management Inc now owns 29,105 shares of the company's stock worth $15,420,000 after purchasing an additional 1,968 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Chemed by 12.1% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,934 shares of the company's stock worth $2,614,000 after purchasing an additional 531 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its holdings in Chemed by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 1,583 shares of the company's stock valued at $839,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In other Chemed news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 732 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $575.62, for a total transaction of $421,353.84. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 18,287 shares in the company, valued at $10,526,362.94. This trade represents a 3.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the company's 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 completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 101,735 shares of the company's stock, valued at $58,270,755.95. The trade was a 1.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.32% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Chemed Price Performance

NYSE CHE traded up $2.38 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $557.58. The company's stock had a trading volume of 46,162 shares, compared to its average volume of 92,762. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $544.14 and a 200 day moving average of $564.46. Chemed Co. has a one year low of $512.12 and a one year high of $654.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.39 billion, a PE ratio of 28.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.48.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. Chemed's dividend payout ratio is currently 10.11%.

About Chemed

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.