Blueshift Asset Management LLC Decreases Holdings in Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE)

Blueshift Asset Management LLC reduced its position in Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE) by 38.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 539 shares of the company’s stock after selling 330 shares during the period. Blueshift Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Chemed were worth $332,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Neuberger Berman Group LLC grew its position in shares of Chemed by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 501,562 shares of the company’s stock valued at $265,726,000 after acquiring an additional 5,809 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Chemed by 1.5% during the fourth 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 during the period. FMR LLC increased its position in Chemed by 18.9% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 283,790 shares of the company’s stock worth $150,352,000 after buying an additional 45,174 shares in the last quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. raised its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 12,167 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Trust Walden Corp raised its stake in shares of Chemed by 1.7% in 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 period. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Stock Performance

CHE stock opened at $418.08 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $508.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $552.77. Chemed Corporation has a one year low of $408.42 and a one year high of $623.60. The company has a market capitalization of $6.12 billion, a PE ratio of 21.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.46.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $4.27 earnings per share 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 firm had revenue of $618.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $650.60 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $5.47 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Chemed Corporation will post 21.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 29th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 29th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHE has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Chemed from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, July 5th. 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. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Chemed in a research report on Friday, July 25th. They set a “hold” rating and a $500.00 price objective on the stock. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Chemed from $708.00 to $650.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer decreased their price target on Chemed from $650.00 to $580.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $579.75.

About Chemed

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.