Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Stake Boosted by DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale

DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale grew its holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 1.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 114,946 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,982 shares during the quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale owned 0.76% of Chemed worth $66,030,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CHE. Morgan Stanley grew its position in shares of Chemed by 175.0% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 362,270 shares of the company's stock worth $184,914,000 after buying an additional 230,531 shares in the last quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP acquired a new position in Chemed during the 4th quarter worth approximately $98,742,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Chemed in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $71,705,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Chemed by 144.0% in the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 184,312 shares of the company's stock valued at $93,363,000 after purchasing an additional 108,759 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new stake in shares of Chemed during the 3rd quarter worth $47,655,000. 95.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chemed Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CHE traded up $0.93 during trading on Friday, hitting $630.25. 48,428 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 68,616. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $618.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $582.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.17, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.42. Chemed Co. has a 12-month low of $492.84 and a 12-month high of $654.62.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported $6.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $6.25 by $0.35. The firm had revenue of $585.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $586.64 million. Chemed had a net margin of 12.03% and a return on equity of 32.29%. Chemed's quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $5.39 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Chemed Co. will post 21.99 EPS for the current year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.25%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. Chemed's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.93%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on CHE. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 4th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In related news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $641.65, for a total transaction of $1,283,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 20,760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,320,654. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Chemed news, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total value of $7,196,910.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $917,190. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $641.65, for a total value of $1,283,300.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 20,760 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,320,654. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 15,808 shares of company stock worth $10,184,531. 4.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Chemed 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.