Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Stake Cut by Riverbridge Partners LLC

Riverbridge Partners LLC trimmed its position in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 7.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 78,357 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,516 shares during the quarter. Riverbridge Partners LLC owned approximately 0.52% of Chemed worth $41,514,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of CHE. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Chemed by 19.1% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 153,957 shares of the company's stock worth $83,536,000 after purchasing an additional 24,721 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its stake in shares of Chemed by 4.7% during the second quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 1,545 shares of the company's stock valued at $838,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in Chemed by 62.7% during the 2nd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 610 shares of the company's stock worth $331,000 after purchasing an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in Chemed in the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,116,000. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Chemed by 4.4% in the 2nd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,407 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,849,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Chemed Trading Down 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE CHE traded down $11.48 on Thursday, reaching $539.66. 100,624 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 84,882. The company has a 50 day moving average of $544.80 and a 200 day moving average of $563.00. Chemed Co. has a fifty-two week low of $512.12 and a fifty-two week high of $654.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.12 billion, a PE ratio of 27.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.47.

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

Chemed Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Chemed's payout ratio is currently 10.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on CHE shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, November 30th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Brian C. Judkins acquired 145 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $519.50 per share, with a total value of $75,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,678 shares of the company's stock, valued at $871,721. This trade represents a 9.46 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 732 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $575.62, for a total value of $421,353.84. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 18,287 shares in the company, valued at $10,526,362.94. This trade represents a 3.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 3.32% of the company's stock.

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.