Alaska Permanent Fund Corp Cuts Holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Alaska Permanent Fund Corp trimmed its holdings in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 706 shares of the company’s stock after selling 18 shares during the period. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp’s holdings in Chemed were worth $413,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chemed in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Chemed in the 3rd quarter valued at about $44,000. Legacy Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Chemed in the 3rd quarter valued at about $48,000. Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in Chemed by 27.4% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 144 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,000 after buying an additional 31 shares during the last quarter. Finally, ORG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Chemed during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $126,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Stock Performance

NYSE:CHE opened at $560.31 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.16, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.42. Chemed Co. has a fifty-two week low of $492.84 and a fifty-two week high of $654.62. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $623.76 and a 200 day moving average price of $590.54.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.09 by ($0.41). Chemed had a return on equity of 30.52% and a net margin of 12.36%. The firm had revenue of $589.23 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $587.18 million. Research analysts forecast that Chemed Co. will post 21.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.29%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHE has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered Chemed from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th.

Insider Transactions at Chemed

In other news, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total transaction of $7,196,910.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,422 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $917,190. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CFO Michael D. Witzeman sold 2,650 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $643.14, for a total transaction of $1,704,321.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 2,882 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,853,529.48. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total transaction of $7,196,910.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,422 shares in the company, valued at $917,190. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 15,808 shares of company stock valued at $10,184,531. 3.32% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Chemed Company Profile

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.