Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Given Consensus Rating of “Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) have earned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the eleven research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $104.67.

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on EHC shares. Leerink Partnrs upgraded shares of Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Leerink Partners assumed coverage on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $100.00 target price on the stock. KeyCorp initiated coverage on Encompass Health in a report on Friday, October 11th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $115.00 price target for the company. UBS Group raised their price target on Encompass Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, August 6th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total transaction of $1,058,528.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 136,227 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,761,839.18. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Encompass Health

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Encompass Health in the third quarter valued at $203,000. Copeland Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 1,284,550 shares of the company’s stock worth $124,139,000 after purchasing an additional 12,433 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 19.2% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 160,545 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,515,000 after buying an additional 25,907 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the third quarter valued at approximately $228,000. Finally, V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in Encompass Health by 53.0% during the 3rd quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Encompass Health Trading Down 1.5 %

NYSE:EHC opened at $95.75 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.35 and a quick ratio of 1.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.64 billion, a PE ratio of 25.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.88. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $93.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $87.95. Encompass Health has a fifty-two week low of $57.55 and a fifty-two week high of $98.74.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.10. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.83% and a net margin of 7.88%. The firm had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.30 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.95 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Encompass Health will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, July 24th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is presently 18.38%.

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.