Arizona State Retirement System Sells 521 Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Arizona State Retirement System cut its stake in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 1.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 28,019 shares of the company’s stock after selling 521 shares during the quarter. Arizona State Retirement System’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $1,869,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of EHC. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Encompass Health by 14.3% during the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,290 shares of the company’s stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can increased its position in shares of Encompass Health by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 11,340 shares of the company’s stock valued at $806,000 after buying an additional 173 shares in the last quarter. Creative Planning raised its stake in Encompass Health by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 6,074 shares of the company’s stock worth $340,000 after buying an additional 204 shares during the period. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Encompass Health by 18.8% during the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,415 shares of the company’s stock worth $77,000 after acquiring an additional 224 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in Encompass Health by 0.5% in the third quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 48,339 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,246,000 after acquiring an additional 231 shares during the period. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on EHC. Truist Financial raised their price target on Encompass Health from $82.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $95.00 to $101.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $77.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $83.22.

Encompass Health Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of EHC stock opened at $80.51 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $76.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $69.87. The company has a current ratio of 1.28, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. Encompass Health Co. has a 1 year low of $57.55 and a 1 year high of $83.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.20, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.94.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.69% and a net margin of 7.33%. The business had revenue of $1.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.24 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 3.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is presently 17.29%.

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.