VELA Investment Management LLC Has $5.15 Million Holdings in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

VELA Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 54.1% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 50,925 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,873 shares during the quarter. Encompass Health makes up 1.1% of VELA Investment Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. VELA Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $5,147,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the second quarter worth about $36,000. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the second quarter worth about $39,000. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 89.6% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 215 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 36,200.0% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 362 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on EHC shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Encompass Health from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Encompass Health from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $148.71.

Encompass Health Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of Encompass Health stock opened at $121.80 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.19. Encompass Health Corporation has a 52 week low of $92.77 and a 52 week high of $127.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $115.33 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $107.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.02 billion, a PE ratio of 19.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.75.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.07. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.08% and a net margin of 10.01%.The company had revenue of $1.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.40 earnings per share. Encompass Health’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Encompass Health Corporation will post 6.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. This is a positive change from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is 12.38%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP John Darby sold 8,906 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.95, for a total value of $1,121,710.70. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 75,041 shares in the company, valued at $9,451,413.95. This represents a 10.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 173,148 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.47, for a total transaction of $21,724,879.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 267,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,602,622.58. The trade was a 39.27% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 186,912 shares of company stock worth $23,434,845 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Profile

Encompass Health Corporation is a leading provider of post?acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a comprehensive network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home health and hospice agencies. Its inpatient rehabilitation hospitals offer intensive therapy programs for patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cardiac and pulmonary disorders, and orthopedic procedures. Through its home health segment, Encompass Health delivers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to patients in the comfort of their homes, while its hospice services provide end?of?life care focused on symptom management and emotional support for patients and families.

Founded in 1984 as HealthSouth Corporation and rebranded as Encompass Health in 2018, the company has grown organically and through acquisitions to serve patients across more than 30 states.