Meeder Asset Management Inc. Buys Shares of 43,669 Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 43,669 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,414,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. EP Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,694 shares of the company’s stock valued at $453,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL increased its holdings in Encompass Health by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 4,813 shares of the company’s stock worth $466,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares in the last quarter. Gibson Capital LLC increased its holdings in Encompass Health by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. Gibson Capital LLC now owns 2,431 shares of the company’s stock worth $235,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Leuthold Group LLC raised its position in Encompass Health by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Leuthold Group LLC now owns 31,168 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,308,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its position in Encompass Health by 24.4% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 540 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 8,906 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.95, for a total transaction of $1,121,710.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 75,041 shares in the company, valued at $9,451,413.95. The trade was a 10.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 173,148 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.47, for a total transaction of $21,724,879.56. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 267,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,602,622.58. This represents a 39.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently weighed in on EHC shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, May 22nd. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $148.71.

Encompass Health Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:EHC opened at $122.35 on Wednesday. Encompass Health Corporation has a 1 year low of $92.77 and a 1 year high of $127.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The business’s 50-day moving average is $109.89 and its 200-day moving average is $105.91. The company has a market capitalization of $12.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.72.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.48 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.08% and a net margin of 10.01%.The firm’s revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.40 earnings per share. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.250 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Encompass Health Corporation will post 6.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a $0.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.38%.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health Corporation is a leading provider of post‐acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a comprehensive network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home health and hospice agencies. Its inpatient rehabilitation hospitals offer intensive therapy programs for patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cardiac and pulmonary disorders, and orthopedic procedures. Through its home health segment, Encompass Health delivers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to patients in the comfort of their homes, while its hospice services provide end‐of‐life care focused on symptom management and emotional support for patients and families.

Founded in 1984 as HealthSouth Corporation and rebranded as Encompass Health in 2018, the company has grown organically and through acquisitions to serve patients across more than 30 states.