Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 275.7% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 35,799 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 26,270 shares during the quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $3,071,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 360.2% during the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 405 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its position in Encompass Health by 192.3% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 573 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 377 shares during the period. Finally, MeadowBrook Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth $41,000. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

NYSE EHC traded up $0.30 on Wednesday, hitting $84.98. The stock had a trading volume of 393,227 shares, compared to its average volume of 654,780. The company’s 50-day moving average is $86.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $81.34. The stock has a market cap of $8.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. Encompass Health Co. has a one year low of $57.55 and a one year high of $94.38.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.10. Encompass Health had a net margin of 7.60% and a return on equity of 18.01%. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.30 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.95 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.09 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be issued a $0.17 dividend. This is a boost from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.80%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is 18.38%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EHC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $113.00 to $109.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Leerink Partnrs upgraded Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. SVB Leerink began coverage on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $100.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $95.00 price target (up previously from $85.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $99.86.

Insider Activity

In other Encompass Health news, insider Elissa Joy Charbonneau sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.02, for a total transaction of $850,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 18,594 shares in the company, valued at $1,580,861.88. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.