Russell Investments Group Ltd. Grows Stake in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 31.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 227,643 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 54,536 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned about 0.23% of Encompass Health worth $21,023,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in EHC. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth $100,637,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the fourth quarter worth about $77,944,000. Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth about $52,094,000. abrdn plc purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at about $17,846,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,404,081 shares of the company's stock worth $960,817,000 after buying an additional 138,196 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on EHC. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Encompass Health from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. KeyCorp increased their price target on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $107.67.

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Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at $6,798,129.56. The trade was a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Encompass Health Trading Down 0.6 %

NYSE:EHC traded down $0.62 on Tuesday, reaching $102.65. 159,195 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 659,870. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. Encompass Health Co. has a 52-week low of $78.53 and a 52-week high of $105.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The business has a fifty day moving average of $99.59 and a 200-day moving average of $98.08.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. As a group, analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.66%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio is currently 15.25%.

About Encompass Health

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.