Analysts Set Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Target Price at $107.67

Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $107.67.

EHC has been the subject of several analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 15th. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Friday, February 7th.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:EHC opened at $99.13 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $97.86 and a 200 day moving average of $97.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The company has a market capitalization of $9.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. Encompass Health has a 52 week low of $76.11 and a 52 week high of $104.55.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Encompass Health will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.25%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. This represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Encompass Health

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its position in Encompass Health by 87.8% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. Colonial Trust Co SC acquired a new stake in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Transce3nd LLC acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. Finally, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 38.7% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

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.