Raymond James Financial Inc. Invests $42.02 Million in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 79,318 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $42,023,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned about 0.53% of Chemed at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of CHE. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in Chemed by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 52 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in shares of Chemed during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC increased its position in Chemed by 64.7% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 56 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont bought a new position in Chemed in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Tortoise Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Chemed by 77.3% in the 4th quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 78 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.85% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In related news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 1,000 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $615.33, for a total transaction of $615,330.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 101,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at $62,566,139.07. This trade represents a 0.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 3.32% of the company's stock.

Chemed Price Performance

NYSE CHE traded down $12.55 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $569.14. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,055 shares, compared to its average volume of 97,618. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $586.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $567.45. Chemed Co. has a 52 week low of $512.12 and a 52 week high of $623.61. The stock has a market cap of $8.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.49.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.35%. Chemed's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.05%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Chemed from $633.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, March 14th.

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.