Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Holdings Trimmed by D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc.

D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 65.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,480 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,359 shares during the quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc.'s holdings in Chemed were worth $2,374,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Chemed during the fourth quarter worth about $95,872,000. Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new position in Chemed during the 4th quarter valued at about $61,664,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Chemed during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,023,000. Citadel Advisors LLC grew its position in Chemed by 197.4% in the 4th quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 77,143 shares of the company's stock worth $40,870,000 after purchasing an additional 51,206 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC increased its stake in shares of Chemed by 18.9% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 283,790 shares of the company's stock valued at $150,352,000 after purchasing an additional 45,174 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company's stock.

Chemed Trading Up 1.3%

CHE traded up $7.54 on Monday, reaching $568.98. The company had a trading volume of 113,071 shares, compared to its average volume of 103,064. The company has a market capitalization of $8.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.75, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a fifty day moving average of $582.91 and a 200-day moving average of $565.59. Chemed Co. has a one year low of $512.12 and a one year high of $623.61.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The company reported $5.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.59 by $0.04. Chemed had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The business had revenue of $646.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $641.78 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $5.20 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 EPS for the current year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a 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 research report on Monday, April 28th.

Insider Transactions at Chemed

In other Chemed news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 1,500 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $577.99, for a total value of $866,985.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,627 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,454,259.73. The trade was a 9.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.67, for a total value of $1,187,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 102,679 shares in the company, valued at $60,957,441.93. This represents a 1.91% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 7,500 shares of company stock valued at $4,401,120. Corporate insiders own 3.29% of the company's stock.

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.