Blue Trust Inc. Sells 4,384 Shares of National HealthCare Co. (NYSE:NHC)

Blue Trust Inc. lowered its stake in shares of National HealthCare Co. (NYSE:NHC) by 88.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 573 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,384 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in National HealthCare were worth $62,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Barclays PLC boosted its holdings in National HealthCare by 345.6% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 21,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,649,000 after purchasing an additional 16,336 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of National HealthCare by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 16,631 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,092,000 after buying an additional 825 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 213.3% in the third quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 28,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,633,000 after acquiring an additional 19,667 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 6.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 43,073 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,417,000 after acquiring an additional 2,419 shares during the period. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in National HealthCare in the third quarter valued at about $378,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 56.44% of the company’s stock.

National HealthCare Stock Down 3.3 %

NHC opened at $90.62 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $102.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $117.31. The company has a market capitalization of $1.40 billion, a PE ratio of 11.36 and a beta of 0.45. National HealthCare Co. has a 1-year low of $87.03 and a 1-year high of $138.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

National HealthCare Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Friday, March 28th will be given a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 28th. This represents a $2.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.69%. National HealthCare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Timothy J. Shelly sold 614 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.44, for a total value of $74,564.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Health Corp National sold 28,147 shares of National HealthCare stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.71, for a total value of $3,200,595.37. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,056,616 shares in the company, valued at $120,147,805.36. This trade represents a 2.59 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 13.75% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of National HealthCare from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 16th.

National HealthCare Company Profile

National HealthCare Corporation engages in the operation of services to skilled nursing facilities, assisted and independent living facilities, homecare and hospice agencies, and health hospitals. Its skilled nursing facilities offer licensed therapy services, nutrition services, social services, activities, and housekeeping and laundry services, as well as medical services prescribed by physicians; and rehabilitative services, such as physical, speech, respiratory, and occupational therapy for patients recovering from strokes, heart attacks, orthopedic conditions, neurological illnesses, or other illnesses, injuries, or disabilities.