Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Shares Sold by Capital Research Global Investors

Capital Research Global Investors reduced its holdings in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 780,929 shares of the company's stock after selling 6,920 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors owned approximately 0.78% of Encompass Health worth $72,119,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EHC. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Encompass Health by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 644,764 shares of the company's stock valued at $59,544,000 after purchasing an additional 4,345 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division grew its stake in Encompass Health by 15.1% during the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 3,195 shares of the company's stock valued at $295,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter valued at about $374,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its stake in Encompass Health by 87.8% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its stake in Encompass Health by 9.6% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,380 shares of the company's stock valued at $127,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encompass Health

In other Encompass Health news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,798,129.56. This represents a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on EHC shares. StockNews.com upgraded Encompass Health from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Barclays boosted their price target on Encompass Health from $118.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. KeyCorp upped their target price on Encompass Health from $120.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $110.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $113.14.

Encompass Health Price Performance

EHC stock traded up $11.92 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $113.33. 2,076,448 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 675,702. The company has a market cap of $11.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.87. The stock's 50 day moving average is $100.08 and its 200 day moving average is $98.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.04. Encompass Health Co. has a 12-month low of $82.38 and a 12-month high of $114.38.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.43 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. On average, research analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st were issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.60%. Encompass Health's payout ratio is currently 15.25%.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health Corporation provides post-acute healthcare services in the United States and Puerto Rico. It owns and operates inpatient rehabilitation hospitals that provide medical, nursing, therapy, and ancillary services. The company provides specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis to patients who have experienced physical or cognitive disabilities or injuries due to medical conditions, such as strokes, hip fractures, and various debilitating neurological conditions.