Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 208 Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Securian Asset Management Inc. decreased its position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 7,616 shares of the company’s stock after selling 208 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $703,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 87.8% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 293 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Tompkins Financial Corp bought a new position in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth about $46,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 43.8% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 581 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new position in Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter worth about $68,000. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

NYSE EHC opened at $96.11 on Monday. Encompass Health Co. has a 52 week low of $74.45 and a 52 week high of $104.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.55, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. 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 50-day moving average price of $97.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $96.97.

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

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

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 issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is 15.25%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Encompass Health 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 transaction of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on EHC. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 15th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp upped 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, William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $107.67.

Encompass Health Company Profile

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.