Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Lowered to "Buy" Rating by Wall Street Zen

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Friday.

EHC has been the subject of several other research reports. William Blair reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $135.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Thursday. KeyCorp raised their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $122.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 27th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $127.00.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EHC traded up $0.28 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $121.57. The company's stock had a trading volume of 406,135 shares, compared to its average volume of 700,185. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $111.96 and a two-hundred day moving average of $102.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.05. Encompass Health has a 1-year low of $82.74 and a 1-year high of $123.13.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.18. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. The firm had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.43 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.12 earnings per share. Encompass Health's revenue was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.79, for a total transaction of $1,147,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 79,710 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,149,910.90. This represents a 11.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 118,384 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.53, for a total value of $14,387,207.52. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 527,070 shares of the company's stock, valued at $64,054,817.10. The trade was a 18.34% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 132,663 shares of company stock worth $16,034,082 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Encompass Health

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EHC. WPG Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Colonial Trust Co SC purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in shares of Encompass Health by 749.0% during the 1st quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 416 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 367 shares in the last quarter. Transce3nd LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its position in shares of Encompass Health by 38.7% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 455 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company's stock.

Encompass Health Company Profile

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.

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