Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Reaches New 1-Year High on Insider Buying Activity

Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday following insider buying activity. The stock traded as high as $85.97 and last traded at $85.73, with a volume of 105271 shares. The stock had previously closed at $84.51.

Specifically, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 44,976 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.27, for a total transaction of $3,745,151.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 554,098 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,139,740.46. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 44,976 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.27, for a total transaction of $3,745,151.52. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 554,098 shares in the company, valued at $46,139,740.46. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 14,543 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.94, for a total value of $1,220,739.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 84,773 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,115,845.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

EHC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $83.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Truist Financial boosted their price objective on Encompass Health from $82.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Barclays lifted their price target on Encompass Health from $101.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $85.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, Raymond James reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating and set a $95.00 target price (up previously from $85.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $90.29.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $79.33 and a 200-day moving average of $71.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.65 billion, a PE ratio of 23.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.92.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $1.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.27 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 7.60%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.88 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 1st will be given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 28th. Encompass Health's dividend payout ratio is presently 16.22%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encompass Health

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James & Associates boosted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 5.7% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 164,936 shares of the company's stock worth $11,077,000 after acquiring an additional 8,952 shares in the last quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 7.1% in the third quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,580 shares of the company's stock valued at $375,000 after purchasing an additional 370 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio increased its stake in Encompass Health by 8.5% in the third quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 153,252 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,292,000 after purchasing an additional 11,975 shares during the last quarter. Washington Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Encompass Health during the third quarter worth approximately $571,000. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $298,000. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Encompass Health Company 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.