Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. Acquires 6,412 Shares of Chemed Corporation $CHE

Key Points

• Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. has increased its holdings in Chemed Corporation by 111.5%, owning 12,164 shares worth $7.48 million after purchasing an additional 6,412 shares.
• Chemed recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share, up from the previous $0.50, indicating a positive change in its dividend payout strategy.
• Chemed reported $4.27 EPS for the last quarter, missing estimates of $6.02, while also posting a revenue of $618.80 million, below expectations of $650.60 million.

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 111.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 12,164 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 6,412 shares during the quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. owned 0.08% of Chemed worth $7,485,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of CHE. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Chemed by 131,200.8% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 166,752 shares of the company's stock worth $102,606,000 after purchasing an additional 166,625 shares during the period. Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Chemed during the fourth quarter worth approximately $61,664,000. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of Chemed during the fourth quarter worth approximately $54,587,000. Citadel Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Chemed by 197.4% during the fourth quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 77,143 shares of the company's stock worth $40,870,000 after purchasing an additional 51,206 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in shares of Chemed during the first quarter worth approximately $30,527,000. 95.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Chemed

In other news, Director George J. Walsh III purchased 200 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 4th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $417.10 per share, for a total transaction of $83,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,523 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,469,443.30. This trade represents a 6.02% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Nicholas Michael Westfall sold 10,012 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $421.91, for a total value of $4,224,162.92. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 3.29% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CHE has been the subject of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Chemed in a report on Friday, July 25th. They set a "hold" rating and a $500.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Chemed from $640.00 to $589.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Bank of America decreased their price target on Chemed from $708.00 to $650.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 30th. Oppenheimer decreased their price target on Chemed from $650.00 to $580.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 31st. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut Chemed from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 5th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Chemed has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $579.75.

Chemed Stock Performance

Shares of Chemed stock traded up $9.0750 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $453.9050. 79,835 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 137,814. The company has a market cap of $6.61 billion, a PE ratio of 23.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.46. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $480.34 and a 200-day moving average of $543.50. Chemed Corporation has a 12 month low of $408.42 and a 12 month high of $623.60.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The company reported $4.27 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $6.02 by ($1.75). Chemed had a net margin of 11.56% and a return on equity of 25.83%. The business had revenue of $618.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $650.60 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.47 EPS. Chemed's revenue was up 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Chemed has set its FY 2025 guidance at 22.000-22.300 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Chemed Corporation will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 29th. Investors of record on Monday, August 11th will be given a dividend of $0.60 per share. This is a boost from Chemed's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 11th. Chemed's dividend payout ratio is presently 12.34%.

Chemed Company Profile

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.