Amundi Sells 137,419 Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Amundi reduced its position in shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 41.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 192,272 shares of the company’s stock after selling 137,419 shares during the quarter. Amundi owned approximately 0.19% of Encompass Health worth $17,851,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in shares of Encompass Health by 87.8% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares during the period. Avior Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the third quarter worth about $40,000. Tompkins Financial Corp purchased a new position in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter valued at about $46,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in Encompass Health by 43.8% during the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 581 shares of the company’s stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc purchased a new stake in Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $68,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of EHC opened at $93.57 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.05. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $97.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $96.86. Encompass Health Co. has a fifty-two week low of $74.27 and a fifty-two week high of $104.55. The stock has a market cap of $9.42 billion, a PE ratio of 20.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. Analysts anticipate that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.73%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is currently 15.25%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total transaction of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on EHC. StockNews.com raised Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 15th. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $110.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of 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 increased their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.67.

About Encompass Health

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.