Lisa Piercey Buys 949 Shares of National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) Stock

National HealthCare Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) Director Lisa Piercey purchased 949 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $184.26 per share, with a total value of $174,862.74. Following the purchase, the director owned 949 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $174,862.74. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

National HealthCare Stock Performance

Shares of NHC stock traded up $3.83 on Tuesday, hitting $183.23. The company had a trading volume of 145,212 shares, compared to its average volume of 96,072. National HealthCare Corporation has a twelve month low of $93.54 and a twelve month high of $205.06. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $175.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $156.01. The firm has a market cap of $2.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.86 and a beta of 0.64.

National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter. National HealthCare had a return on equity of 9.98% and a net margin of 8.10%.The company had revenue of $381.82 million for the quarter.

National HealthCare Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. This is an increase from National HealthCare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.64. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. National HealthCare’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.12%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National HealthCare

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. M Holdings Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of National HealthCare in the 3rd quarter worth about $56,283,000. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 38.6% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,038,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $142,407,000 after purchasing an additional 289,566 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 556.4% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 207,483 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,211,000 after purchasing an additional 175,873 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 407.2% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 75,257 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,019,000 after purchasing an additional 60,420 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alps Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 19.9% in the 3rd quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 176,002 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,386,000 after purchasing an additional 29,246 shares in the last quarter. 56.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have issued reports on NHC. BMO Capital Markets upgraded National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, National HealthCare currently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

About National HealthCare

National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE American: NHC) is a healthcare services company specializing in long-term care and post-acute rehabilitation. The company operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and outpatient therapy clinics. Through its subsidiary, National HealthCare Partners, NHC provides contract rehabilitation services, pharmacy management and clinical consulting to a broad network of senior living and healthcare providers.

Headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, National HealthCare Corporation has built a regional footprint across the southeastern and south-central United States.