Principal Financial Group Inc. Sells 15,547 Shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 30.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 34,867 shares of the company's stock after selling 15,547 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.23% of Chemed worth $20,954,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in Chemed by 34.4% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 86 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Chemed in the 3rd quarter valued at $61,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Chemed by 14.0% in the first quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 147 shares of the company's stock worth $94,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. increased its position in Chemed by 60.5% during the second quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 183 shares of the company's stock worth $99,000 after buying an additional 69 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP raised its holdings in Chemed by 721.7% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 189 shares of the company's stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $598.81, for a total transaction of $1,197,620.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 103,735 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $62,117,555.35. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Chemed news, Director George J. Walsh III sold 200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $577.95, for a total value of $115,590.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 3,446 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,991,615.70. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $598.81, for a total value of $1,197,620.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 103,735 shares in the company, valued at $62,117,555.35. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 5,144 shares of company stock valued at $3,002,419. 3.32% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Chemed Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CHE traded down $2.76 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $562.13. 54,187 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 85,702. Chemed Co. has a one year low of $523.33 and a one year high of $654.62. The company's 50 day moving average is $580.85 and its 200 day moving average is $565.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.46.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $5.76 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $606.18 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $612.22 million. Chemed had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The firm's revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $5.32 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 18th. Chemed's dividend payout ratio is currently 10.11%.

Chemed Profile

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.