Dean Capital Management Reduces Position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Dean Capital Management trimmed its stake in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 11.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 22,197 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,751 shares during the period. Dean Capital Management’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $2,050,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Colonial Trust Co SC purchased a new stake in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Crestline Management LP purchased a new stake in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth approximately $211,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC bought a new stake in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,284,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in Encompass Health by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 14,515 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,340,000 after purchasing an additional 1,036 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centiva Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the fourth quarter worth approximately $542,000. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Encompass Health Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE EHC opened at $117.02 on Wednesday. Encompass Health Co. has a 12 month low of $82.74 and a 12 month high of $117.98. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $102.40 and its 200-day moving average price is $99.52. The stock has a market cap of $11.78 billion, a PE ratio of 26.24, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.37 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.18. The business had revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.43 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.12 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.58%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is 14.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. StockNews.com downgraded Encompass Health from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $120.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Encompass Health presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $120.86.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.79, for a total transaction of $1,147,900.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 79,710 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,149,910.90. This trade represents a 11.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, 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 transaction of $495,578.18. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. The trade was a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.00% of the company’s stock.

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.