Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Receives $107.67 Average PT from Brokerages

Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $107.67.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on EHC. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 15th. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encompass Health

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of Encompass Health 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 completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Encompass Health

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its stake in Encompass Health by 87.8% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. Transce3nd LLC purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the fourth quarter valued at $40,000. Finally, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 38.7% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

EHC opened at $99.13 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.23, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a fifty day moving average of $97.86 and a 200 day moving average of $97.07. Encompass Health has a fifty-two week low of $76.11 and a fifty-two week high of $104.55.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Encompass Health will post 4.8 earnings per share 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is currently 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.