Madison Investment Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Madison Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 87,907 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,118,000. Madison Investment Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Encompass Health as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in EHC. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 87.8% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the third quarter valued at about $40,000. Tompkins Financial Corp purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the fourth quarter worth about $46,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its position in Encompass Health by 43.8% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 581 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 177 shares during the period. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $68,000. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Encompass Health Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of EHC traded down $0.22 on Tuesday, hitting $97.53. 560,635 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 633,628. Encompass Health Co. has a 1 year low of $74.45 and a 1 year high of $104.55. The stock's 50 day moving average is $97.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $97.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.87, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84.

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

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health's payout ratio is 15.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on EHC shares. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, February 15th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $110.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $107.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encompass Health

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Encompass Health

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.