Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. Has $4.28 Million Position in Chemed Corporation $CHE

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE) by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,794 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Chemed worth $4,282,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Alpine Bank Wealth Management bought a new position in Chemed in the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. HM Payson & Co. bought a new stake in shares of Chemed during the first quarter worth $30,000. SVB Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chemed during the first quarter worth $30,000. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Chemed in the 1st quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in Chemed by 330.4% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 99 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Chemed Stock Performance

Chemed stock opened at $429.34 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $448.45 and a 200 day simple moving average of $509.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.07, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.43. Chemed Corporation has a 52 week low of $408.42 and a 52 week high of $623.60.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $4.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 the consensus estimate of $650.60 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.47 EPS. Chemed’s quarterly revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. Chemed has set its FY 2025 guidance at 22.000-22.300 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Chemed Corporation will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 11th were issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 11th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. This is a positive change from Chemed’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Chemed’s payout ratio is 12.34%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on CHE. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Chemed from $640.00 to $589.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 31st. Oppenheimer decreased their price objective on Chemed from $650.00 to $580.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chemed in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Bank of America reduced their price target on Chemed from $610.00 to $595.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $490.00 to $550.00 in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Chemed has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $578.50.

Insider Activity at Chemed

In other news, Director Patrick P. Grace sold 150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $463.39, for a total transaction of $69,508.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 3,397 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,574,135.83. This trade represents a 4.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 3,000 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $461.28, for a total transaction of $1,383,840.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 96,197 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $44,373,752.16. The trade was a 3.02% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 13,162 shares of company stock valued at $5,677,511. 3.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.