Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Trims Stake in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lowered its holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 25.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,348 shares of the company’s stock after selling 7,076 shares during the period. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $1,746,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Encompass Health by 192.3% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 573 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 377 shares in the last quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter worth $40,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Encompass Health by 31.9% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 616 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. bought a new position in Encompass Health in the second quarter valued at $60,000. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:EHC opened at $92.44 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $89.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $85.08. The company has a market cap of $9.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.88. Encompass Health Co. has a 12 month low of $57.55 and a 12 month high of $94.59.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.83% and a net margin of 7.88%. Encompass Health’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.95 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This is an increase from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.74%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is presently 18.38%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on EHC shares. Leerink Partners started coverage on Encompass Health in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Leerink Partnrs upgraded shares of Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $83.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $113.00 to $109.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Encompass Health presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $100.38.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total transaction of $1,058,528.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 136,227 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,761,839.18. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health 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.