Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) VP Brian C. Judkins Acquires 145 Shares

Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) VP Brian C. Judkins bought 145 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 30th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $519.50 per share, with a total value of $75,327.50. Following the purchase, the vice president now owns 1,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $871,721. This represents a 9.46 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Chemed Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of CHE stock opened at $529.80 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $553.04 and its 200 day moving average price is $563.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.97 billion, a PE ratio of 26.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.46. Chemed Co. has a 52-week low of $512.12 and a 52-week high of $654.62.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.76 by ($0.12). Chemed had a return on equity of 27.86% and a net margin of 12.69%. The company had revenue of $606.18 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $612.22 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $5.32 EPS. Chemed’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Chemed’s payout ratio is 10.11%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 30th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 5th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CHE. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Chemed by 21.3% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,282,000 after purchasing an additional 1,544 shares during the period. Second Line Capital LLC grew its holdings in Chemed by 17.1% during the third quarter. Second Line Capital LLC now owns 4,597 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,763,000 after acquiring an additional 672 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Chemed by 4.9% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 335,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $201,820,000 after acquiring an additional 15,791 shares during the period. Vestcor Inc raised its position in Chemed by 35.4% in the third quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 4,351 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,615,000 after acquiring an additional 1,138 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank lifted its holdings in Chemed by 2.6% in the third quarter. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank now owns 6,439 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,870,000 after acquiring an additional 162 shares during the period. 95.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Chemed

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.