Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Shares Sold by Impax Asset Management Group plc

Impax Asset Management Group plc cut its stake in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE - Free Report) by 16.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 258,992 shares of the company's stock after selling 52,199 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc owned about 1.72% of Chemed worth $151,446,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Raymond James & Associates increased its holdings in Chemed by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 67,918 shares of the company's stock worth $39,715,000 after buying an additional 3,654 shares in the last quarter. Chicago Capital LLC bought a new stake in Chemed in the 4th quarter worth about $1,170,000. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board increased its holdings in Chemed by 229.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 5,984 shares of the company's stock worth $3,110,000 after buying an additional 4,166 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Chemed by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 97,335 shares of the company's stock worth $50,585,000 after buying an additional 1,283 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trust Point Inc. bought a new stake in Chemed in the 4th quarter worth about $2,325,000. 95.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Chemed Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of Chemed stock traded up $1.43 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $624.52. 65,428 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 78,999. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $619.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $583.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.42. Chemed Co. has a one year low of $492.84 and a one year high of $654.62.

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

Chemed Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Monday, February 26th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.26%. Chemed's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.93%.

Insider Activity at Chemed

In related news, CFO Michael D. Witzeman sold 2,650 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $643.14, for a total transaction of $1,704,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 2,882 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,853,529.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the business'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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,760 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,320,654. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Michael D. Witzeman sold 2,650 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $643.14, for a total value of $1,704,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 2,882 shares in the company, valued at $1,853,529.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 15,808 shares of company stock worth $10,184,531. 3.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on CHE. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, March 4th. Oppenheimer boosted their price target on Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th.

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.