Brokerages Set Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) Target Price at $142.86

Shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) have been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the eleven research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $142.8571.

EHC has been the topic of several research reports. UBS Group raised their price objective on Encompass Health from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Raymond James Financial upgraded Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. KeyCorp boosted their price objective on Encompass Health from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. Zacks Research downgraded Encompass Health from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Encompass Health from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encompass Health

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Citizens National Bank Trust Department purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Encompass Health by 56.7% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 279 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. raised its position in Encompass Health by 88.1% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 299 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Shares of Encompass Health stock opened at $102.70 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Encompass Health has a 52 week low of $90.67 and a 52 week high of $127.99. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $110.52 and its two-hundred day moving average is $116.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 0.74.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 16th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Encompass Health had a net margin of 9.33% and a return on equity of 17.84%. The business had revenue of $136.30 million during the quarter. Research analysts forecast that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.37%.

Encompass Health Company Profile

Encompass Health Corporation is a leading provider of post‐acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a comprehensive network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home health and hospice agencies. Its inpatient rehabilitation hospitals offer intensive therapy programs for patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cardiac and pulmonary disorders, and orthopedic procedures. Through its home health segment, Encompass Health delivers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to patients in the comfort of their homes, while its hospice services provide end‐of‐life care focused on symptom management and emotional support for patients and families.

Founded in 1984 as HealthSouth Corporation and rebranded as Encompass Health in 2018, the company has grown organically and through acquisitions to serve patients across more than 30 states.