Rice Hall James & Associates LLC Sells 4,853 Shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC)

Rice Hall James & Associates LLC trimmed its holdings in Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC - Free Report) by 10.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 41,312 shares of the company's stock after selling 4,853 shares during the period. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC's holdings in Encompass Health were worth $4,184,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EHC. US Bancorp DE grew its position in Encompass Health by 9.6% in the fourth quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,380 shares of the company's stock worth $127,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 10.3% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 18,955 shares of the company's stock worth $1,751,000 after buying an additional 1,764 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 21.4% during the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,555 shares of the company's stock worth $236,000 after buying an additional 451 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 197,900 shares of the company's stock worth $18,276,000 after buying an additional 1,300 shares during the period. Finally, one8zero8 LLC bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth $394,000. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Elissa Joy Charbonneau sold 4,279 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $116.61, for a total transaction of $498,974.19. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 11,958 shares in the company, valued at $1,394,422.38. This trade represents a 26.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.79, for a total transaction of $1,147,900.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 79,710 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,149,910.90. This trade represents a 11.15% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 132,663 shares of company stock worth $16,034,082 in the last quarter. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Encompass Health stock traded down $7.90 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $111.77. The company had a trading volume of 469,513 shares, compared to its average volume of 767,647. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81. Encompass Health Corporation has a 52 week low of $82.74 and a 52 week high of $123.13. The company has a 50 day moving average of $119.65 and a 200-day moving average of $106.55. The firm has a market cap of $11.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.20, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.88.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.18. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.97% and a return on equity of 17.63%. The company had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.43 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.12 EPS. The business's revenue was up 10.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Encompass Health Corporation will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 1st will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 1st. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $135.00 price objective (up from $116.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Monday, April 28th. Stephens raised shares of Encompass Health from an "overweight" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $135.00 price objective for the company in a report on Thursday, June 5th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $118.00 to $129.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $131.50.

Encompass Health Profile

Encompass Health Corporation provides post-acute healthcare services in the United States and Puerto Rico. It owns and operates inpatient rehabilitation hospitals that provide medical, nursing, therapy, and ancillary services. The company provides specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis to patients who have experienced physical or cognitive disabilities or injuries due to medical conditions, such as strokes, hip fractures, and various debilitating neurological conditions.