Insider Selling: National HealthCare Co. (NYSE:NHC) Insider Sells 28,147 Shares of Stock

National HealthCare Co. (NYSE:NHC - Get Free Report) insider Health Corp National sold 28,147 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.71, for a total value of $3,200,595.37. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 1,056,616 shares in the company, valued at approximately $120,147,805.36. The trade was a 2.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

National HealthCare Trading Up 0.4 %

NYSE:NHC traded up $0.47 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $111.76. The stock had a trading volume of 34,132 shares, compared to its average volume of 61,303. The company has a quick ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $122.29 and a 200 day moving average of $122.04. The company has a market capitalization of $1.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.01 and a beta of 0.43. National HealthCare Co. has a one year low of $87.03 and a one year high of $138.49.

National HealthCare Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 30th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.18%. National HealthCare's dividend payout ratio is currently 30.58%.

Institutional Trading of National HealthCare

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NHC. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in National HealthCare during the 3rd quarter valued at $98,156,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in National HealthCare by 123.0% during the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 87,350 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,469,000 after purchasing an additional 48,182 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in National HealthCare by 3.2% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,022,033 shares of the company's stock valued at $110,788,000 after purchasing an additional 31,697 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in National HealthCare by 139.3% in the second quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 49,627 shares of the company's stock worth $5,380,000 after purchasing an additional 28,886 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hood River Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of National HealthCare during the second quarter valued at about $2,517,000. 56.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of National HealthCare from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, November 16th.

About National HealthCare

National HealthCare Corporation engages in the operation of services to skilled nursing facilities, assisted and independent living facilities, homecare and hospice agencies, and health hospitals. Its skilled nursing facilities offer licensed therapy services, nutrition services, social services, activities, and housekeeping and laundry services, as well as medical services prescribed by physicians; and rehabilitative services, such as physical, speech, respiratory, and occupational therapy for patients recovering from strokes, heart attacks, orthopedic conditions, neurological illnesses, or other illnesses, injuries, or disabilities.