National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) Share Price Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened

Shares of National HealthCare Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $163.89 and traded as high as $203.04. National HealthCare shares last traded at $201.53, with a volume of 105,492 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on NHC. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Robert W. Baird raised shares of National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised shares of National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, National HealthCare has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

National HealthCare Stock Up 2.5%

The company has a 50 day moving average of $187.09 and a 200 day moving average of $164.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.24 and a beta of 0.64.

National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter. National HealthCare had a return on equity of 9.98% and a net margin of 8.10%.The company had revenue of $381.82 million during the quarter.

National HealthCare Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be issued a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. This is a positive change from National HealthCare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.64. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. National HealthCare’s payout ratio is presently 59.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Lisa Piercey purchased 949 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $184.26 per share, with a total value of $174,862.74. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 949 shares in the company, valued at approximately $174,862.74. This trade represents a ? increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 13.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of National HealthCare

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. M Holdings Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of National HealthCare in the 3rd quarter worth $56,283,000. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in National HealthCare by 38.6% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,038,787 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,407,000 after acquiring an additional 289,566 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in National HealthCare by 556.4% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 207,483 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,211,000 after acquiring an additional 175,873 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in National HealthCare by 407.2% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 75,257 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,019,000 after acquiring an additional 60,420 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eversept Partners LP acquired a new stake in National HealthCare during the fourth quarter worth about $3,918,000. 56.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About National HealthCare

National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE American: NHC) is a healthcare services company specializing in long-term care and post-acute rehabilitation. The company operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and outpatient therapy clinics. Through its subsidiary, National HealthCare Partners, NHC provides contract rehabilitation services, pharmacy management and clinical consulting to a broad network of senior living and healthcare providers.

Headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, National HealthCare Corporation has built a regional footprint across the southeastern and south-central United States.