Franklin Resources Inc. Has $5.53 Million Stake in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 18.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,436 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,636 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of Chemed worth $5,529,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CHE. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Chemed during the 4th quarter worth about $42,023,000. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Chemed by 78.0% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,730 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,246,000 after buying an additional 1,634 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Chemed by 4.9% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 335,443 shares of the company’s stock valued at $201,820,000 after acquiring an additional 15,791 shares in the last quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Chemed by 60.7% in the fourth quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 4,995 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,647,000 after acquiring an additional 1,886 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Chemed by 10.9% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 136,182 shares of the company’s stock worth $72,149,000 after acquiring an additional 13,394 shares in the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Chemed from $633.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th.

Chemed Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of CHE stock opened at $592.57 on Friday. Chemed Co. has a 12 month low of $512.12 and a 12 month high of $625.09. The company has a market cap of $8.66 billion, a PE ratio of 29.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.49. The business’s 50 day moving average is $582.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $567.97.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.34%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 1,000 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $615.33, for a total value of $615,330.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 101,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,566,139.07. The trade was a 0.97 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

About Chemed

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.