Encompass Health Corporation $EHC Shares Bought by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 34.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 98,693 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 25,335 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.10% of Encompass Health worth $9,547,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in Encompass Health by 21.5% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 88,470 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,960,000 after purchasing an additional 15,677 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 38.4% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 92,197 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,338,000 after purchasing an additional 25,574 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the first quarter worth $259,000. Walleye Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 667.6% during the second quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 6,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $800,000 after buying an additional 7,671 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the second quarter valued at about $588,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.56, for a total transaction of $71,309.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,588,382.80. The trade was a 2.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

NYSE:EHC opened at $113.79 on Thursday. Encompass Health Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $92.77 and a fifty-two week high of $127.99. 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 company has a 50 day moving average price of $105.50 and a 200 day moving average price of $103.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.00, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.74.

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

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. This is a positive change from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is presently 12.69%.

About Encompass Health

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.