Legal & General Group Plc Buys New Shares in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 142,515 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,405,000.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of EHC. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter worth $36,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 362 shares during the last quarter. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the second quarter valued at about $39,000. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in Encompass Health by 89.6% during the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the period. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth about $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE EHC opened at $120.98 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Encompass Health Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $92.77 and a fifty-two week high of $127.99. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $113.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $107.19. The stock has a market cap of $11.93 billion, a PE ratio of 19.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.72.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.07. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.01% and a return on equity of 18.08%. The company had revenue of $1.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.40 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.250 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Encompass Health Corporation will post 6.08 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. This is an increase from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.38%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 8,906 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.95, for a total transaction of $1,121,710.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 75,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,451,413.95. The trade was a 10.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 173,148 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.47, for a total value of $21,724,879.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 267,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,602,622.58. This trade represents a 39.27% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on EHC shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, August 16th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $148.71.

Encompass Health 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.