Vanguard Group Inc. Purchases 138,196 Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 1.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,404,081 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 138,196 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 10.33% of Encompass Health worth $960,817,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 87.8% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 38.7% in the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 455 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp purchased a new position in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its stake in Encompass Health by 43.8% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 581 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares during the period. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the third quarter valued at $68,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company's stock.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

EHC stock traded up $0.82 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $102.10. 68,965 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 643,630. 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 50-day moving average of $98.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $97.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.28 billion, a PE ratio of 22.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. Encompass Health Co. has a 52 week low of $78.53 and a 52 week high of $104.55.

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Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last issued 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 return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.67%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio is 15.25%.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In other Encompass Health news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at $6,798,129.56. This represents a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 2.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on EHC shares. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. KeyCorp upped their target price on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. StockNews.com raised Encompass Health from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 15th. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Encompass Health presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus 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.