Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) Receives $148.71 Average PT from Brokerages

Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the nine analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $148.7143.

Several research analysts have weighed in on EHC shares. Weiss Ratings upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 173,148 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.47, for a total transaction of $21,724,879.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 267,814 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,602,622.58. This represents a 39.27% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 8,906 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.95, for a total value of $1,121,710.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 75,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,451,413.95. This represents a 10.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Encompass Health

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. WPG Advisers LLC increased its position in shares of Encompass Health by 73.3% during the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the second quarter worth $36,000. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 89.6% in the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Encompass Health Stock Down 0.6%

Encompass Health stock opened at $120.18 on Friday. Encompass Health has a 12 month low of $92.77 and a 12 month high of $127.99. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $111.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $106.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The firm has a market cap of $11.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.57, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.72.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.48 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $1.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.01% and a return on equity of 18.08%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.40 EPS. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.250 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Encompass Health will post 6.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.38%.

About Encompass Health

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.