Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Coverage Initiated at KeyCorp

Stock analysts at KeyCorp began coverage on shares of Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The firm set an "overweight" rating and a $115.00 price target on the stock. KeyCorp's price target would suggest a potential upside of 19.89% from the stock's previous close.

EHC has been the subject of several other reports. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Leerink Partners initiated coverage on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, September 26th. UBS Group increased their price target on Encompass Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their target price on Encompass Health from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $104.22.

Encompass Health Trading Up 2.5 %

Shares of NYSE EHC traded up $2.35 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $95.92. 566,041 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 632,029. The company's 50 day moving average price is $91.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $87.07. Encompass Health has a 12 month low of $57.55 and a 12 month high of $97.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.10. Encompass Health had a net margin of 7.88% and a return on equity of 17.83%. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.30 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.95 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Encompass Health will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, July 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total transaction of $1,058,528.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 136,227 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,761,839.18. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encompass Health

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Magnetar Financial LLC increased its position in Encompass Health by 1,176.6% during the 2nd quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC now owns 744,836 shares of the company's stock worth $63,899,000 after purchasing an additional 814,018 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 2,302.7% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 603,558 shares of the company's stock valued at $51,780,000 after acquiring an additional 578,438 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 614.8% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 540,519 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,637,000 after buying an additional 464,897 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 379.7% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 578,349 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,587,000 after purchasing an additional 457,796 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Encompass Health by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,997,034 shares of the company's stock valued at $667,002,000 after buying an additional 450,081 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Encompass Health Company 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.