Eukles Asset Management Sells 50 Shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Eukles Asset Management lessened its position in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 0.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,646 shares of the company’s stock after selling 50 shares during the period. Chemed makes up about 1.8% of Eukles Asset Management’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding. Eukles Asset Management’s holdings in Chemed were worth $3,886,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in CHE. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC acquired a new position in Chemed during the 1st quarter worth approximately $273,000. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its position in Chemed by 13.3% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 1,957 shares of the company’s stock valued at $992,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in Chemed by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,018 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,022,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its position in Chemed by 6.2% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $432,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Chemed by 495.0% during the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 2,261 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,145,000 after buying an additional 1,881 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total transaction of $7,196,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,422 shares in the company, valued at $917,190. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $641.65, for a total value of $1,283,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,760 shares in the company, valued at $13,320,654. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total transaction of $7,196,910.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,422 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $917,190. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 15,808 shares of company stock worth $10,184,531. Insiders own 4.03% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHE has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th.

Chemed Trading Up 0.3 %

NYSE CHE traded up $1.86 on Friday, hitting $599.28. 23,897 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 76,843. The company has a market cap of $9.06 billion, a PE ratio of 33.35, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.42. Chemed Co. has a 12 month low of $492.84 and a 12 month high of $654.62. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $621.80 and a 200-day moving average of $587.37.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported $6.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $6.25 by $0.35. Chemed had a net margin of 12.03% and a return on equity of 32.29%. The firm had revenue of $585.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $586.64 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $5.39 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Chemed Co. will post 21.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Monday, February 26th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 23rd. Chemed’s payout ratio is currently 8.93%.

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.