Cetera Investment Advisers Cuts Holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Cetera Investment Advisers trimmed its stake in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 45.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,615 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,358 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers' holdings in Chemed were worth $856,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of Chemed by 300.0% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 52 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new position in shares of Chemed during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Chemed by 64.7% in the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 56 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. Tortoise Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Chemed by 77.3% in the 4th quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 78 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in Chemed by 633.3% in the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 88 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Chemed Price Performance

Shares of CHE stock traded down $1.11 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $571.90. The company had a trading volume of 62,410 shares, compared to its average volume of 103,217. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $581.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $565.81. Chemed Co. has a 52-week low of $512.12 and a 52-week high of $623.61. The company has a market capitalization of $8.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.90, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.59.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $5.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.59 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $646.94 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $641.78 million. Chemed had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $5.20 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 29th. Chemed's payout ratio is presently 9.74%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHE has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Chemed from $667.00 to $674.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In related news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $615.33, for a total transaction of $615,330.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 101,679 shares of the company's stock, valued at $62,566,139.07. This represents a 0.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $577.99, for a total transaction of $866,985.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,627 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,454,259.73. This trade represents a 9.30% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,500 shares of company stock worth $4,401,120 in the last quarter. 3.29% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Chemed Company Profile

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.