Bahl & Gaynor Inc. Buys 133,585 Shares of Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. increased its stake in Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 46.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 421,811 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 133,585 shares during the quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. owned approximately 0.42% of Encompass Health worth $53,578,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brand Asset Management Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the third quarter worth $242,000. R Squared Ltd raised its holdings in Encompass Health by 75.3% in the 3rd quarter. R Squared Ltd now owns 9,286 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,180,000 after acquiring an additional 3,990 shares during the period. Integrated Advisors Network LLC acquired a new position in Encompass Health during the 3rd quarter worth $203,000. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 15.7% during the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 21,832 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,773,000 after acquiring an additional 2,966 shares during the period. Finally, Waddell & Associates LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the third quarter valued at about $305,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Trading Up 0.5%

Encompass Health stock opened at $107.70 on Monday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $103.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $114.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Encompass Health Corporation has a 12 month low of $92.53 and a 12 month high of $127.99. The stock has a market cap of $10.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.70.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.17. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.20% and a net margin of 9.54%.The business had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.54 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.17 earnings per share. Encompass Health’s revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.810-6.100 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Encompass Health Corporation will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is 13.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on EHC shares. Barclays boosted their price objective on Encompass Health from $150.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Zacks Research lowered Encompass Health from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, January 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $143.29.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 150,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.64, for a total value of $16,746,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 377,070 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,096,094.80. This represents a 28.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Encompass Health Profile

Encompass Health Corporation is a leading provider of post‐acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a comprehensive network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home health and hospice agencies. Its inpatient rehabilitation hospitals offer intensive therapy programs for patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cardiac and pulmonary disorders, and orthopedic procedures. Through its home health segment, Encompass Health delivers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to patients in the comfort of their homes, while its hospice services provide end‐of‐life care focused on symptom management and emotional support for patients and families.

Founded in 1984 as HealthSouth Corporation and rebranded as Encompass Health in 2018, the company has grown organically and through acquisitions to serve patients across more than 30 states.