40,558 Shares in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC Acquired by Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund

Key Points

• Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund acquired 40,558 Encompass Health shares worth approximately $3.9 million in the first quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 97.25% of the company.
• Encompass Health reported quarterly earnings of $1.60 per share, exceeding estimates of $1.51, while revenue rose 9% year over year to $1.59 billion.
• The company increased its quarterly dividend from $0.19 to $0.21 per share, or $0.84 annually, resulting in a 0.8% yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $143.86.

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 40,558 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,923,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of EHC. WPG Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Encompass Health by 73.3% in the 4th quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 324 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 89.6% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 455 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 36,200.0% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 363 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 362 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the fourth quarter worth about $55,000. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company's stock.

Encompass Health Trading Down 2.7%

Shares of NYSE EHC opened at $110.71 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.48, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.74. Encompass Health Corporation has a 1-year low of $92.77 and a 1-year high of $127.99. The business's 50 day moving average is $105.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $104.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.17.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.28% and a net margin of 10.04%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.37 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Encompass Health Corporation will post 5.96 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be given a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. This is a positive change from Encompass Health's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.69%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Encompass Health

In other news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.56, for a total value of $71,309.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,755 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,588,382.80. This represents a 2.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.80% of the company's stock.

Encompass Health Company Profile

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.

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