Impax Asset Management Group plc Trims Position in Chemed Corporation $CHE

Key Points

• Impax Asset Management trimmed its Q4 stake in Chemed by 3.5%, selling 8,940 shares and now holds 244,242 shares worth about $104.5 million (1.72% of the company).
• Chemed beat Q1 adjusted EPS ($5.65 vs. ~$5.30) and raised FY2026 guidance to $24.00–$24.75, though revenue was only up 1.6% to $657.5M and Roto‑Rooter showed margin pressure; the company also repurchased 500,000 shares as cash from operations improved.
• Analyst sentiment and insider activity are mixed: several firms cut targets or downgraded the stock (average target ~$498), CEO Kevin J. McNamara sold 2,000 shares, and the stock recently climbed about 9.8%, trading near $420.67 (market cap ~$6.15B).

Impax Asset Management Group plc decreased its position in shares of Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 3.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 244,242 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,940 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc owned 1.72% of Chemed worth $104,501,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Chemed by 71.4% during the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 60 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in Chemed during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Pilgrim Partners Asia Pte Ltd purchased a new position in Chemed during the third quarter worth approximately $45,000. HM Payson & Co. raised its stake in Chemed by 35.5% during the third quarter. HM Payson & Co. now owns 103 shares of the company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Chemed by 330.4% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 99 shares of the company's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.85% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Chemed

Here are the key news stories impacting Chemed this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised FY2026 EPS guidance to $24.00–$24.75, above prior consensus, giving investors a better earnings outlook for the year. Chemed Reports First-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted Q1 EPS of $5.65 beat Street estimates (around $5.30), signaling core profitability resilience and helping lift sentiment. Chemed (CHE) Beats Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: VITAS (hospice) showed revenue and operating improvements (net patient revenue +3.1%, higher average daily census and admissions), which management cited when raising guidance. Chemed Reports First-Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue was roughly flat/only modestly up (+1.6% to $657.5M), essentially in line with expectations — not a growth surprise but not a miss either. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Cash from operations improved meaningfully and the company repurchased 500,000 shares and closed two Roto‑Rooter franchise purchases (~$20.6M) — capital allocation activity that investors may view positively over time. Chemed Reports First-Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Roto‑Rooter showed revenue and EBITDA declines and margin compression (notable drop in segment EBITDA and margins), a near‑term drag on consolidated profitability. Chemed earnings on deck as hospice, plumbing units face tests
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP diluted EPS and net income were slightly down year‑over‑year, and balance‑sheet notes (lower cash, higher liabilities) plus recent insider sales may concern some investors focused on capital structure. Chemed Corp (CHE) Stock Rises on Q1 2026 Earnings

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CHE has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and set a $422.00 price target (down from $572.00) on shares of Chemed in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Chemed from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Oppenheimer cut their price target on shares of Chemed from $580.00 to $500.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Chemed from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $498.00.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $403.18, for a total value of $806,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 93,719 shares of the company's stock, valued at $37,785,626.42. This represents a 2.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 3.29% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Chemed Stock Up 9.8%

Chemed stock opened at $420.67 on Friday. Chemed Corporation has a 52-week low of $365.20 and a 52-week high of $583.96. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $403.17 and a 200-day moving average of $426.30. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.92, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.49.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The company reported $5.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.30 by $0.35. Chemed had a net margin of 10.23% and a return on equity of 25.70%. The company had revenue of $657.51 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $659.22 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.63 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Chemed has set its FY 2026 guidance at 24.000-24.75 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Chemed Corporation will post 21.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were given a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. Chemed's dividend payout ratio is presently 13.08%.

Chemed Profile

Chemed Corporation is a diversified provider of essential home services and healthcare solutions in the United States. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company operates through two principal business segments—Roto-Rooter and Vitas Healthcare. Since its founding in 1974, Chemed has built a reputation for reliability and expertise, serving both residential and commercial customers across a broad range of markets.

The Roto-Rooter segment offers a comprehensive suite of plumbing, drain cleaning and water restoration services.

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