Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Position Lessened by Riverbridge Partners LLC

Riverbridge Partners LLC reduced its stake in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 7.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 78,357 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,516 shares during the period. Riverbridge Partners LLC’s holdings in Chemed were worth $41,514,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in shares of Chemed by 300.0% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 52 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont bought a new stake in Chemed during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Chemed during the 3rd quarter worth $61,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of Chemed by 60.5% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP increased its holdings in shares of Chemed by 721.7% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 189 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the period. 95.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chemed Stock Down 1.1 %

CHE opened at $553.24 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $8.33 billion, a PE ratio of 27.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.47. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $544.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $563.00. Chemed Co. has a fifty-two week low of $512.12 and a fifty-two week high of $654.62.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.76 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $606.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $612.22 million. Chemed had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $5.32 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.36%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.11%.

Insider Activity at Chemed

In related news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $572.77, for a total transaction of $1,145,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 101,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $58,270,755.95. This trade represents a 1.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins purchased 145 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $519.50 per share, for a total transaction of $75,327.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president now owns 1,678 shares in the company, valued at $871,721. This represents a 9.46 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 3.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CHE has been the subject of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 30th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th.

Chemed Company Profile

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.