Insider Selling: Healthcare Services Group (NASDAQ:HCSG) EVP Sells $1,109,426.37 in Stock

Healthcare Services Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HCSG) EVP John Christopher Shea sold 54,357 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.41, for a total value of $1,109,426.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 29,292 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $597,849.72. The trade was a 64.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Healthcare Services Group Price Performance

NASDAQ HCSG opened at $20.64 on Friday. Healthcare Services Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $9.13 and a 12 month high of $22.98. The company has a 50-day moving average of $19.45 and a 200-day moving average of $17.72. The company has a market cap of $1.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.17 and a beta of 0.74.

Healthcare Services Group (NASDAQ:HCSG) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The business services provider reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.21. Healthcare Services Group had a net margin of 3.21% and a return on equity of 16.04%. The business had revenue of $466.68 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $467.24 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.16 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Healthcare Services Group, Inc. will post 0.74 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on HCSG. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Healthcare Services Group in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Macquarie Infrastructure reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Healthcare Services Group in a report on Wednesday, November 26th. Robert W. Baird set a $23.00 price objective on Healthcare Services Group in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. UBS Group set a $25.00 target price on Healthcare Services Group and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 12th. Finally, William Blair upgraded Healthcare Services Group from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $22.00.

Healthcare Services Group News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Healthcare Services Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results showed an earnings beat and revenue growth — the company reported $0.44 EPS vs. consensus $0.23 and revenue rose ~6.6% year‑over‑year, which supports the bullish case. MarketBeat: HCSG profile and earnings summary
• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying: several funds increased or initiated positions in HCSG in Q4, and institutions own a very large share of the float (~98%), which can stabilize the stock and support longer‑term demand. MarketBeat: institutional holdings
• Positive Sentiment: Retail/insider buy: Theodore Wahl purchased roughly $178K of HCSG shares, a small but supportive insider buy. Benzinga: Theodore Wahl buy
• Neutral Sentiment: An EVP (Chief Revenue Officer) exercised options worth ~$282K — option exercises are common and can be neutral (could signal confidence or simply scheduled compensation). Benzinga: options exercise
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reports for mid‑February show “0” shares / 0 days to cover and NaN changes — this is almost certainly a data/reporting error and should not be interpreted as meaningful market pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider selloffs: EVP Patrick J. Orr sold ~45,500 shares (~$0.9M) and reduced his holding by ~50%, disclosed on Form 4. Significant insider trimming at current prices can be read negatively by investors. SEC Form 4: Patrick J. Orr sale
• Negative Sentiment: Another senior executive, EVP John Christopher Shea, sold ~54,357 shares (~$1.1M) and trimmed his stake by ~65%, adding to the negative signal from insider sales. SEC Form 4: John Christopher Shea sale

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Healthcare Services Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in shares of Healthcare Services Group by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 14,052 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares during the period. Trail Ridge Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Healthcare Services Group by 2.6% in the third quarter. Trail Ridge Investment Advisors LLC now owns 24,309 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $409,000 after acquiring an additional 609 shares during the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Healthcare Services Group by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 21,563 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $363,000 after purchasing an additional 719 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its position in Healthcare Services Group by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 20,151 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $385,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Healthcare Services Group by 29.7% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 3,688 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 845 shares during the last quarter. 97.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Healthcare Services Group Company Profile

Healthcare Services Group, Inc (NASDAQ: HCSG) is a leading provider of support services to healthcare facilities across the United States. The company specializes in environmental services, including housekeeping and sanitation, as well as linen and laundry management. In addition, Healthcare Services Group offers dietary and nutrition services, catering to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and other long-term care providers.

Founded as a family-owned business in the late 1970s, the company completed its initial public offering in 1997.