XTX Topco Ltd Invests $858,000 in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) during the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 10,002 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $858,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Encompass Health by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 10,166,147 shares of the company’s stock worth $839,520,000 after acquiring an additional 169,113 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Encompass Health by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 8,215,770 shares of the company’s stock worth $548,156,000 after purchasing an additional 449,230 shares in the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc increased its holdings in Encompass Health by 16.0% during the 1st quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 2,283,674 shares of the company’s stock worth $188,586,000 after purchasing an additional 314,488 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Encompass Health by 1.2% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,819,345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $156,083,000 after purchasing an additional 22,311 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Epoch Investment Partners Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 14.2% in the 1st quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 1,598,042 shares of the company’s stock worth $131,966,000 after buying an additional 198,701 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:EHC opened at $92.65 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $90.04 and its 200 day moving average is $85.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.35. Encompass Health Co. has a 1 year low of $57.55 and a 1 year high of $94.59. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.88.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.10. Encompass Health had a net margin of 7.88% and a return on equity of 17.83%. The firm had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.95 EPS. Encompass Health’s revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, July 24th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be paid a $0.17 dividend. This is a positive change from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.73%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.38%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total value of $1,058,528.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 136,227 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,761,839.18. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Leerink Partnrs upgraded Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Leerink Partners started coverage on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $96.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Barclays lowered their target price on Encompass Health from $113.00 to $109.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Encompass Health presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $100.38.

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.