First Trust Advisors LP Raises Stock Position in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 29.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 221,737 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 50,979 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned approximately 0.22% of Encompass Health worth $21,449,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

Encompass Health Trading Down 1.9%

NYSE EHC opened at $113.79 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $105.50 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $103.94. Encompass Health Corporation has a twelve month low of $92.77 and a twelve month high of $127.99. The company has a market capitalization of $11.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.00, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.74.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 period in the prior year, the business earned $1.37 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Encompass Health Corporation will post 5.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a $0.21 dividend. This is an increase from Encompass Health's previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. Encompass Health's payout ratio is currently 12.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Encompass Health 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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