Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Hold": Six brokerages rate Chemed an overall Hold (2 sell, 2 hold, 2 buy) with an average 1-year price target of $498.
• Earnings miss and guidance: Chemed missed Q results (EPS $6.42 vs. $7.02 expected; revenue $639.3M vs. $659.1M expected) but set FY 2026 guidance of 23.25–24.25 EPS versus analyst expectations of 21.92 EPS.
• Dividend and insider activity: The company pays a quarterly dividend of $0.60 (annualized $2.40, yield ~0.6%, payout ratio 13.06%), and CEO Kevin J. McNamara sold 2,000 shares for about $806,360, with insiders owning 3.29% of the stock.

Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Hold" by the six brokerages that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have issued a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $498.00.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Zacks Research lowered Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Oppenheimer decreased their price objective on Chemed from $580.00 to $500.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $422.00 price objective (down from $572.00) on shares of Chemed in a report on Friday, February 27th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Chemed from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Chemed from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th.

Chemed Price Performance

Shares of CHE opened at $385.51 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.99, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.49. Chemed has a 1-year low of $365.20 and a 1-year high of $593.80. The company has a 50-day moving average of $409.15 and a 200 day moving average of $427.56.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $6.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.02 by ($0.60). The company had revenue of $639.34 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $659.09 million. Chemed had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 25.66%. Chemed's quarterly revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.83 earnings per share. Chemed has set its FY 2026 guidance at 23.250-24.250 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Chemed will post 21.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were given a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 23rd. Chemed's dividend payout ratio is presently 13.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In other news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $403.18, for a total value of $806,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 93,719 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $37,785,626.42. This represents a 2.09% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 3.29% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chemed

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Chemed by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 734 shares of the company's stock worth $314,000 after acquiring an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Chemed by 3.8% during the 3rd quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 661 shares of the company's stock worth $299,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Eukles Asset Management increased its holdings in shares of Chemed by 0.4% during the third quarter. Eukles Asset Management now owns 6,031 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,700,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Cim LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chemed by 1.1% during the third quarter. Cim LLC now owns 2,139 shares of the company's stock valued at $958,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chemed by 71.4% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 60 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.85% of the company's stock.

Chemed Company Profile

Chemed Corporation is a diversified provider of essential home services and healthcare solutions in the United States. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company operates through two principal business segments—Roto-Rooter and Vitas Healthcare. Since its founding in 1974, Chemed has built a reputation for reliability and expertise, serving both residential and commercial customers across a broad range of markets.

The Roto-Rooter segment offers a comprehensive suite of plumbing, drain cleaning and water restoration services.

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