Encompass Health Corporation $EHC Stake Increased by Bahl & Gaynor LLC

Bahl & Gaynor LLC lifted its stake in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 25.0% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 921,908 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 184,230 shares during the quarter. Bahl & Gaynor LLC’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $112,003,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the second quarter worth $1,059,762,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Encompass Health by 3.1% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,674,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $162,013,000 after purchasing an additional 50,647 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in Encompass Health by 308.5% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,096,357 shares of the company’s stock valued at $130,532,000 after purchasing an additional 827,982 shares in the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Encompass Health during the second quarter worth about $116,352,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its stake in Encompass Health by 1.6% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,182,574 shares of the company’s stock worth $114,390,000 after purchasing an additional 18,740 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays upped their price objective on Encompass Health from $144.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 29th. Truist Financial reissued a “buy” rating and set a $156.00 price objective (up from $150.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, October 30th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on Encompass Health from $147.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 30th. Mizuho set a $155.00 target price on Encompass Health in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $154.25.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EHC opened at $142.68 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $14.00 billion, a PE ratio of 22.29, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.83. The company’s fifty day moving average is $125.54 and its 200 day moving average is $111.36. Encompass Health Corporation has a 52 week low of $92.77 and a 52 week high of $143.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.36 by $0.16. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.17% and a return on equity of 18.35%. The business had revenue of $1.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.23 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.9% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Encompass Health Corporation will post 6.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 4th will be given a $0.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, January 4th. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is presently 13.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encompass Health

In other news, EVP John Darby sold 4,858 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.09, for a total transaction of $588,255.22. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 75,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,086,714.69. This represents a 6.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health Corporation is a U.S. healthcare provider focused on inpatient rehabilitation. The company operates rehabilitation hospitals that offer specialized care for people recovering from conditions such as strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, orthopedic conditions, and other illnesses or injuries. Its hospitals provide coordinated rehabilitation services, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy, alongside medical care. Encompass Health serves patients through facilities across the United States.