William Blair Investment Management LLC Trims Stake in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

William Blair Investment Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 43.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,862,219 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,441,607 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $171,976,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in shares of Encompass Health by 87.8% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Encompass Health in the third quarter worth approximately $40,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 38.7% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Tompkins Financial Corp purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth $46,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Encompass Health news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. The trade was a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EHC has been the topic of a number of research reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 15th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $110.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research report 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $107.67.

Encompass Health Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE:EHC opened at $96.11 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The company has a market capitalization of $9.68 billion, a PE ratio of 21.55, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $97.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $96.97. Encompass Health Co. has a twelve month low of $74.45 and a twelve month high of $104.55.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. On average, equities analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.25%.

Encompass Health Company 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.