LPL Financial LLC Grows Stock Position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 8.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,558 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,869 shares during the quarter. LPL Financial LLC's holdings in Encompass Health were worth $3,284,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in EHC. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the third quarter worth $68,000. Stifel Financial Corp grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 60,984 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,893,000 after purchasing an additional 4,966 shares during the period. EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 3rd quarter valued at about $308,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $939,000. Finally, M&T Bank Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 26.7% in the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 3,910 shares of the company's stock worth $378,000 after buying an additional 823 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on EHC. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp raised their target price on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com downgraded Encompass Health from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $107.67.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Encompass Health news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction on 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 of the company's stock, valued at $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EHC traded down $0.96 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $102.30. 775,382 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 662,251. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The stock has a market cap of $10.30 billion, a PE ratio of 22.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. The business's fifty day moving average is $99.59 and its two-hundred day moving average is $98.08. Encompass Health Co. has a one year low of $78.53 and a one year high of $105.23.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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, analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.25%.

Encompass Health 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.