Russell Investments Group Ltd. Decreases Position in National HealthCare Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. lessened its holdings in National HealthCare Co. (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) by 14.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,754 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,949 shares during the quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned 0.12% of National HealthCare worth $1,031,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in National HealthCare by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,410,165 shares of the company’s stock worth $89,320,000 after purchasing an additional 22,445 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in National HealthCare by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 925,823 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,641,000 after purchasing an additional 3,958 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in National HealthCare by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 845,966 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,336,000 after purchasing an additional 25,313 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in National HealthCare by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 342,879 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,913,000 after purchasing an additional 5,317 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in National HealthCare by 1,224.5% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 296,852 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,848,000 after purchasing an additional 274,439 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 48.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NHC has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. TheStreet upgraded shares of National HealthCare from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Friday, August 11th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of National HealthCare in a research report on Wednesday, August 23rd. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock.

Insider Activity at National HealthCare

In related news, Director Richard F. Laroche, Jr. purchased 2,100 shares of National HealthCare stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 29th. The shares were bought at an average price of $61.40 per share, for a total transaction of $128,940.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 196,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,059,758.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other National HealthCare news, Director Richard F. Laroche, Jr. acquired 2,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 29th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $61.40 per share, with a total value of $128,940.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 196,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,059,758.20. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director James Paul Abernathy sold 1,550 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $68.22, for a total transaction of $105,741.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 29,840 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,035,684.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 13.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

National HealthCare Price Performance

NHC stock opened at $65.95 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $57.12. National HealthCare Co. has a 12-month low of $51.56 and a 12-month high of $70.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a PE ratio of 31.86 and a beta of 0.28.

National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, August 4th. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. National HealthCare had a net margin of 2.94% and a return on equity of 4.93%. The company had revenue of $282.58 million for the quarter.

National HealthCare Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 1st. Investors of record on Friday, September 29th will be given a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.58%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 28th. National HealthCare’s dividend payout ratio is currently 114.01%.

National HealthCare Profile

National HealthCare Corporation operates, manages, and provides services to skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, homecare and hospice agencies, and a behavioral health hospital. 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.