Fifth Third Bancorp Boosts Stake in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 675.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 38,282 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 33,346 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $3,703,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of EHC. Candriam S.C.A. bought a new stake in Encompass Health during the first quarter worth $6,711,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new position in Encompass Health in the 1st quarter valued at $87,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its position in shares of Encompass Health by 37.4% during the 1st quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 379,586 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,481,000 after purchasing an additional 103,392 shares during the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC increased its position in shares of Encompass Health by 18.0% during the 1st quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 6,594 shares of the company’s stock valued at $638,000 after purchasing an additional 1,004 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 20,670 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,999,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.56, for a total value of $71,309.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,755 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,588,382.80. The trade was a 2.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Stock Up 0.0%

EHC stock opened at $112.24 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $104.47 and a 200-day moving average of $103.59. Encompass Health Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $92.77 and a fifty-two week high of $127.99. The company has a market capitalization of $11.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.74, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 18.28%. The company’s revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.37 earnings per share. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.890-6.110 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Encompass Health Corporation will post 5.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st were paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 1st. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.69%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on EHC shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Encompass Health from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $153.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $143.86.

About Encompass Health

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.