First Trust Advisors LP Boosts Stock Holdings in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 29.9% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 221,737 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 50,979 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $21,449,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of EHC. WPG Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 73.3% during the 4th quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the period. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in Encompass Health by 89.6% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Encompass Health by 36,200.0% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

EHC opened at $113.79 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.29 billion, a PE ratio of 19.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.74. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $105.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $103.94. Encompass Health Corporation has a 52-week low of $92.77 and a 52-week high of $127.99.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.28% and a net margin of 10.04%.The firm’s revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.37 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Encompass Health Corporation will post 5.96 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be issued a $0.21 dividend. This is a boost from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.69%.

Insider Activity at Encompass Health

In other news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,588,382.80. This trade represents a 2.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EHC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $153.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Leerink Partners set a $152.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $143.86.

Encompass Health Company Profile

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.