Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Shares Sold by William Blair Investment Management LLC

William Blair Investment Management LLC trimmed its position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 43.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,862,219 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,441,607 shares during the quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned 1.85% of Encompass Health worth $171,976,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its stake in Encompass Health by 2,870.0% during the third quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 7,336 shares of the company's stock worth $709,000 after buying an additional 7,089 shares during the period. Pathstone Holdings LLC boosted its position in Encompass Health by 54.5% during the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 21,022 shares of the company's stock worth $2,032,000 after purchasing an additional 7,412 shares during the period. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Encompass Health by 43.8% in the 3rd quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 66,405 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,417,000 after purchasing an additional 20,242 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 1.2% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,673,610 shares of the company's stock worth $161,781,000 after purchasing an additional 20,547 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division boosted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 15.1% in the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 3,195 shares of the company's stock worth $295,000 after buying an additional 418 shares during the period. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity

In other Encompass Health news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, February 15th. Barclays raised their target price on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, William Blair reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $107.67.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

NYSE:EHC traded down $2.11 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $97.05. 841,146 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 632,538. Encompass Health Co. has a twelve month low of $76.11 and a twelve month high of $104.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $97.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $97.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share 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%. On average, analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.70%. Encompass Health's payout ratio is 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.