Avantax Advisory Services Inc. Purchases 88 Shares of Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE)

Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE) by 6.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,442 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 88 shares during the period. Avantax Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Chemed were worth $887,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Neuberger Berman Group LLC grew its position in Chemed by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 501,562 shares of the company’s stock worth $265,726,000 after acquiring an additional 5,809 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Chemed by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 340,409 shares of the company’s stock valued at $180,654,000 after purchasing an additional 4,966 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its stake in shares of Chemed by 18.9% in the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 283,790 shares of the company’s stock valued at $150,352,000 after purchasing an additional 45,174 shares during the last quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in Chemed by 5.1% in the fourth quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 252,237 shares of the company’s stock worth $133,635,000 after purchasing an additional 12,167 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its position in Chemed by 1.7% during the first quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 246,351 shares of the company’s stock worth $151,585,000 after buying an additional 4,179 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Stock Performance

Chemed stock opened at $418.08 on Friday. Chemed Corporation has a 52 week low of $408.42 and a 52 week high of $623.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.12 billion, a PE ratio of 21.50, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.46. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $508.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $552.77.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $4.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.02 by ($1.75). Chemed had a net margin of 11.56% and a return on equity of 25.83%. The business had revenue of $618.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $650.60 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $5.47 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Chemed Corporation will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 29th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 29th. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut Chemed from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 5th. Bank of America cut their price objective on Chemed from $708.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 30th. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on Chemed from $650.00 to $580.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Chemed in a report on Friday, July 25th. They set a “hold” rating and a $500.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Chemed from $640.00 to $589.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Chemed presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $579.75.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In other news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $576.45, for a total transaction of $864,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 101,197 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $58,335,010.65. This represents a 1.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $577.99, for a total transaction of $866,985.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 14,627 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,454,259.73. The trade was a 9.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,500 shares of company stock valued at $2,598,450. Corporate insiders own 3.29% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Profile

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.