Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Shares Purchased by Los Angeles Capital Management LLC

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 7.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 54,213 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,923 shares during the quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.05% of Encompass Health worth $5,007,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Point72 Asset Management L.P. increased its position in Encompass Health by 2,458.5% during the third quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 869,104 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,990,000 after purchasing an additional 835,135 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at $52,094,000. abrdn plc acquired a new position in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth about $17,846,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 26.0% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 760,496 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,494,000 after purchasing an additional 156,938 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 22.0% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 700,021 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,412,000 after acquiring an additional 126,000 shares in the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on EHC. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Barclays raised their target price on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 15th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $107.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encompass Health

In other news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,798,129.56. The trade was a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Encompass Health Stock Up 1.1 %

NYSE:EHC opened at $100.27 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $96.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $96.20. Encompass Health Co. has a one year low of $73.68 and a one year high of $104.55. The company has a market capitalization of $10.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.05.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. Sell-side analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is 15.25%.

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.