Blue Trust Inc. Grows Stake in National HealthCare Co. (NYSE:NHC)

Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in National HealthCare Co. (NYSE:NHC) by 43.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,106 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,149 shares during the quarter. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in National HealthCare were worth $764,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in National HealthCare by 35.5% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 313 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of National HealthCare during the third quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Reliant Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in National HealthCare in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $203,000. Ballentine Partners LLC bought a new position in National HealthCare in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $223,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in National HealthCare during the 2nd quarter valued at $228,000. Institutional investors own 56.44% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com raised National HealthCare from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 16th.

National HealthCare Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE NHC opened at $99.25 on Thursday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $111.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $120.81. National HealthCare Co. has a 52-week low of $87.03 and a 52-week high of $138.49. The company has a market cap of $1.53 billion, a PE ratio of 12.44 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a quick ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

National HealthCare (NYSE:NHC) last issued its earnings results on Friday, November 8th. The company reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $340.20 million for the quarter. National HealthCare had a net margin of 10.03% and a return on equity of 6.87%.

National HealthCare Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 30th will be issued a $0.61 dividend. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 30th. National HealthCare’s dividend payout ratio is 30.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Health Corp National sold 28,147 shares of National HealthCare stock in a transaction on Friday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.71, for a total transaction of $3,200,595.37. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,056,616 shares in the company, valued at $120,147,805.36. This trade represents a 2.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Timothy J. Shelly sold 614 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $121.44, for a total value of $74,564.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 13.75% of the company’s stock.

National HealthCare Company Profile

National HealthCare Corporation engages in the operation of services to skilled nursing facilities, assisted and independent living facilities, homecare and hospice agencies, and health hospitals. Its skilled nursing facilities offer licensed therapy services, nutrition services, social services, activities, and housekeeping and laundry services, as well as medical services prescribed by physicians; and rehabilitative services, such as physical, speech, respiratory, and occupational therapy for patients recovering from strokes, heart attacks, orthopedic conditions, neurological illnesses, or other illnesses, injuries, or disabilities.