Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Stake Boosted by Geode Capital Management LLC

Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 1.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 340,409 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,966 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned about 2.26% of Chemed worth $180,654,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Chemed during the 4th quarter valued at about $95,872,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Chemed during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,023,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in Chemed by 114.1% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 74,658 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,554,000 after acquiring an additional 39,791 shares during the last quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC bought a new stake in Chemed in the fourth quarter worth approximately $12,880,000. Finally, Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its stake in shares of Chemed by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 242,172 shares of the company’s stock worth $128,303,000 after purchasing an additional 22,105 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Chemed from $633.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th.

Chemed Stock Down 3.4 %

Shares of CHE stock opened at $598.17 on Monday. Chemed Co. has a 12 month low of $512.12 and a 12 month high of $632.22. The company has a market cap of $8.76 billion, a PE ratio of 30.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.49. The business’s 50 day moving average is $580.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $567.98.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.33%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Chemed news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 1,000 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $615.33, for a total value of $615,330.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 101,679 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,566,139.07. The trade was a 0.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Chemed 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.