Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 39.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 297,823 shares of the company's stock after selling 192,086 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.30% of Encompass Health worth $28,782,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 387.7% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 317 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 252 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 53.0% in the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 404 shares of the company's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the period. Oakworth Capital Inc. purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 58.9% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 534 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $58,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on EHC shares. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. KeyCorp increased their target price on Encompass Health from $115.00 to $117.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Barclays increased their target price on Encompass Health from $109.00 to $116.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 29th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Encompass Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on Encompass Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $107.11.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:EHC traded up $0.64 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $103.25. 155,197 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 639,511. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.98, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.88. Encompass Health Co. has a one year low of $63.59 and a one year high of $104.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The business's fifty day moving average is $95.90 and its 200-day moving average is $89.98.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, October 28th. The company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.09. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 8.10%. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.33 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.86 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.66%. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.43%.

Encompass Health announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Wednesday, July 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

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.