Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMED) Short Interest Down 8.4% in October

Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMED - Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest in October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,640,000 shares, a drop of 8.4% from the September 30th total of 1,790,000 shares. Currently, 5.1% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 361,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.5 days.

Amedisys Trading Up 0.1 %

NASDAQ AMED traded up $0.07 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $95.40. 113,724 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 333,193. The firm has a market cap of $3.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -149.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.78. Amedisys has a fifty-two week low of $89.55 and a fifty-two week high of $98.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $96.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $95.61.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently commented on AMED shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Amedisys from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $101.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Monday, July 29th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $101.00 price target on shares of Amedisys in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $100.67.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Amedisys

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of Amedisys by 413.4% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 196,713 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $18,985,000 after acquiring an additional 158,398 shares in the last quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Amedisys by 34.7% in the 2nd quarter. Highbridge Capital Management LLC now owns 323,200 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $29,670,000 after purchasing an additional 83,200 shares in the last quarter. Murchinson Ltd. bought a new position in Amedisys in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $6,752,000. Calamos Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Amedisys by 11.6% in the 2nd quarter. Calamos Advisors LLC now owns 397,347 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $36,476,000 after buying an additional 41,220 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its holdings in Amedisys by 61.0% in the 2nd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 79,200 shares of the health services provider's stock valued at $7,271,000 after buying an additional 30,000 shares during the last quarter. 94.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Amedisys

Amedisys, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides healthcare services in the United States. It operates through three segments: Home Health, Hospice, and High Acuity Care. The Home Health segment offers a range of services in the homes of individuals for the recovery of patients from surgery, chronic disability, or terminal illness, as well as prevents avoidable hospital readmissions through its skilled nurses; nursing services, rehabilitation therapists specialized in physical, speech, and occupational therapy; and social workers and aides for assisting its patients.