Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Reaches New 12-Month High After Dividend Announcement

Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Friday after the company announced a dividend. The stock traded as high as $127.99 and last traded at $125.34, with a volume of 14190 shares. The stock had previously closed at $126.42.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is 14.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday. Truist Financial raised their target price on Encompass Health from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and eight have given a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $139.86.

Encompass Health Price Performance

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $124.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $118.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.93.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 16th. The company reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.83% and a net margin of 9.22%.The company had revenue of $136.30 million for the quarter. Encompass Health has set its FY22 guidance at $3.83-$4.19 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Encompass Health Corporation will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 1,020 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $123.59, for a total transaction of $126,061.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 18,846 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,329,177.14. This trade represents a 5.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 2.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Encompass Health

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Encompass Health in the second quarter worth approximately $139,536,000. Congress Asset Management Co. bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter worth $92,691,000. 8 Knots Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 2nd quarter worth $78,644,000. Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the first quarter worth $50,665,000. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 25.6% during the first quarter. T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,080,918 shares of the company’s stock valued at $210,756,000 after purchasing an additional 424,691 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.