Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) have received an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $107.67.

Several equities analysts recently commented on EHC shares. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research 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. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Friday, February 7th.

Encompass Health Trading Down 2.5 %

Shares of EHC stock opened at $97.42 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $95.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $95.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.81 billion, a PE ratio of 21.84, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.90. Encompass Health has a 1-year low of $73.68 and a 1-year 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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.70%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is currently 15.25%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, 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 value of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 2.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encompass Health

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the fourth quarter worth approximately $152,953,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the fourth quarter worth about $100,637,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth approximately $77,944,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. lifted its holdings in Encompass Health by 2,458.5% in the third quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 869,104 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,990,000 after acquiring an additional 835,135 shares during the period. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at about $52,094,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

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.