Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Shares Sold by Synovus Financial Corp

Synovus Financial Corp decreased its holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 47.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,515 shares of the company's stock after selling 7,542 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp's holdings in Encompass Health were worth $786,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in Encompass Health by 63.1% during the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 50,900 shares of the company's stock worth $4,701,000 after purchasing an additional 19,700 shares during the period. FIL Ltd lifted its holdings in Encompass Health by 4.5% in the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 188,107 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,372,000 after acquiring an additional 8,116 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Encompass Health by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,536,251 shares of the company's stock worth $511,273,000 after acquiring an additional 176,135 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in Encompass Health by 11.1% during the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 14,329 shares of the company's stock worth $1,323,000 after acquiring an additional 1,437 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC raised its position in Encompass Health by 76.9% in the fourth quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 5,837 shares of the company's stock valued at $547,000 after purchasing an additional 2,537 shares during the period. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Encompass Health Stock Up 2.9 %

Shares of EHC traded up $2.83 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $98.95. The company had a trading volume of 968,212 shares, compared to its average volume of 672,033. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $99.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $98.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.05. Encompass Health Co. has a 1 year low of $80.49 and a 1 year high of $104.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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, sell-side analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st were paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio is presently 15.25%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Encompass Health from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $107.67.

Encompass Health 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.