Ellsworth Advisors LLC Invests $650,000 in National HealthCare Co. (NYSE:NHC)

Ellsworth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of National HealthCare Co. (NYSE:NHC) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 6,047 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $650,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of National HealthCare by 345.6% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 21,063 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,649,000 after purchasing an additional 16,336 shares during the period. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its position in National HealthCare by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 16,631 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,092,000 after buying an additional 825 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC grew its stake in National HealthCare by 213.3% in the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 28,887 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,633,000 after acquiring an additional 19,667 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its position in shares of National HealthCare by 30.3% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 64,688 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,136,000 after acquiring an additional 15,061 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in shares of National HealthCare in the second quarter valued at approximately $228,000. Institutional investors own 56.44% of the company’s stock.

National HealthCare Stock Performance

NHC stock opened at $98.65 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.77. National HealthCare Co. has a 1-year low of $87.03 and a 1-year high of $138.49. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $115.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $121.75. The company has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.36 and a beta of 0.46.

National HealthCare Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.61 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 30th. This represents a $2.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.47%. National HealthCare’s dividend payout ratio is presently 30.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Activity at National HealthCare

In other National HealthCare news, insider Health Corp National sold 28,147 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.71, for a total value of $3,200,595.37. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 1,056,616 shares in the company, valued at approximately $120,147,805.36. The trade was a 2.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Timothy J. Shelly sold 614 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.44, for a total transaction of $74,564.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 13.75% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About National HealthCare

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.