Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Lowered to Hold Rating by StockNews.com

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $120.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 25th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 28th. Barclays increased their target price on Encompass Health from $118.00 to $129.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Encompass Health from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, William Blair restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $120.86.

Encompass Health Price Performance

NYSE:EHC traded down $0.52 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $116.12. The company had a trading volume of 759,782 shares, compared to its average volume of 685,605. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $101.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $99.26. Encompass Health has a 52-week low of $82.74 and a 52-week high of $117.89. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The company has a market capitalization of $11.69 billion, a PE ratio of 26.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.91.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.18. The company had revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.43 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.12 EPS. Encompass Health's revenue for the quarter was up 10.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Encompass Health will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In other Encompass Health news, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.79, for a total value of $1,147,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 79,710 shares in the company, valued at $9,149,910.90. This trade represents a 11.15 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Encompass Health

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Encompass Health by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 644,764 shares of the company's stock valued at $59,544,000 after acquiring an additional 4,345 shares during the period. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 15.1% during the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 3,195 shares of the company's stock valued at $295,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth approximately $374,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,160,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in Encompass Health by 87.8% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company's stock.

About Encompass Health

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.