1,100 Shares in Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE) Bought by Smith Group Asset Management LLC

Smith Group Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 1,100 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $677,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CHE. Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in Chemed in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Alpine Bank Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Chemed during the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of Chemed by 64.7% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 56 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Chemed by 54.5% during the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 51 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 18 shares during the period. Finally, Tortoise Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Chemed by 77.3% during the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 78 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. 95.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Chemed

In other Chemed news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $577.99, for a total transaction of $866,985.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 14,627 shares in the company, valued at $8,454,259.73. This represents a 9.30% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $576.45, for a total transaction of $864,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 101,197 shares of the company's stock, valued at $58,335,010.65. The trade was a 1.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,500 shares of company stock valued at $2,598,450. 3.29% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Chemed from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $640.00 target price (down previously from $674.00) on shares of Chemed in a report on Monday. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Chemed from $708.00 to $650.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday.

Chemed Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:CHE traded up $1.37 on Friday, reaching $472.61. 90,753 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 110,645. Chemed Corporation has a twelve month low of $469.80 and a twelve month high of $623.61. The company has a fifty day moving average of $555.54 and a 200-day moving average of $562.58. The company has a market capitalization of $6.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.02, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.50.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results 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 return on equity of 27.58% and a net margin of 12.40%. The business had revenue of $646.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $641.78 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $5.20 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Chemed Corporation will post 21.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 29th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.42%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 29th. Chemed's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.74%.

About Chemed

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.