Inspire Investing LLC Buys 18,399 Shares of Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Key Points

• Inspire Investing LLC increased its stake in Encompass Health by 82.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 18,399 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 40,647 shares worth about $4.31 million.
• Wall Street sentiment on EHC remains mostly positive, with an average analyst rating of Buy and an average price target of $143.86, though Barclays recently trimmed its target to $140.
• Encompass Health reported solid quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.19 per share, payable July 15.

Inspire Investing LLC raised its stake in Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 82.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,647 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 18,399 shares during the quarter. Inspire Investing LLC's holdings in Encompass Health were worth $4,314,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. EP Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Encompass Health by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,694 shares of the company's stock valued at $453,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in Encompass Health by 14.7% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 701 shares of the company's stock valued at $89,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. Leuthold Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Leuthold Group LLC now owns 31,168 shares of the company's stock worth $3,308,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 24.4% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 540 shares of the company's stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 8,008 shares of the company's stock worth $850,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on EHC shares. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Monday, June 8th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Encompass Health from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $153.00 to $140.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, TD Cowen started coverage on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They set a "buy" rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Encompass Health currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $143.86.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:EHC opened at $98.04 on Thursday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $104.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $104.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.72. 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 Corporation has a 1 year low of $92.77 and a 1 year high of $127.99.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 18.28%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.37 earnings per share. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.890-6.110 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Encompass Health Corporation will post 5.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be paid a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.69%.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In related 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 value of $71,309.92. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,755 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,588,382.80. This trade represents a 2.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About Encompass Health

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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