William Blair Investment Management LLC Trims Position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

William Blair Investment Management LLC lessened its stake in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 43.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,862,219 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,441,607 shares during the quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned approximately 1.85% of Encompass Health worth $171,976,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EHC. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC increased its stake in Encompass Health by 53.4% during the fourth quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC now owns 4,187 shares of the company’s stock worth $387,000 after purchasing an additional 1,458 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 21.6% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 704 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 8.2% during the fourth quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 9,488 shares of the company’s stock worth $876,000 after purchasing an additional 716 shares during the period. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 38.7% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the period. Finally, one8zero8 LLC purchased a new position in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter worth $394,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Encompass Health stock opened at $96.11 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $9.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.55, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. Encompass Health Co. has a 12 month low of $74.45 and a 12 month high of $104.55. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $97.35 and its 200-day moving average is $96.97.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. Equities research analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.71%. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is 15.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on EHC. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $110.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. StockNews.com upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 15th. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp raised their target price on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Barclays upped 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. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.67.

Encompass Health Profile

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.