Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Hits New 52-Week High – What’s Next?

Shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday. The company traded as high as $143.61 and last traded at $140.88, with a volume of 23,959 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $142.51.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays lifted their price target on Encompass Health from $144.00 to $151.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. UBS Group raised their price objective on Encompass Health from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings raised Encompass Health from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Mizuho set a $155.00 target price on Encompass Health in a research note on Monday, November 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $154.25.

Encompass Health Trading Down 1.5%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $125.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $111.36. The stock has a market cap of $13.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.95, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 28th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.36 by $0.16. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.35% and a net margin of 10.17%. The company had revenue of $1.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.60 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.23 EPS. Encompass Health’s revenue was up 8.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Encompass Health Corporation will post 6.29 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 15th. Investors of record on Monday, January 4th will be paid a $0.21 dividend. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, January 4th. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is currently 13.12%.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In other Encompass Health news, EVP John Darby sold 4,858 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.09, for a total transaction of $588,255.22. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 75,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,086,714.69. This represents a 6.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Encompass Health

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Encompass Health during the second quarter worth $29,000. Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the second quarter worth about $36,000. Toth Financial Advisory Corp bought a new stake in Encompass Health during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. increased its position in shares of Encompass Health by 89.6% during the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the period. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health Corporation is a U.S. healthcare provider focused on inpatient rehabilitation. The company operates rehabilitation hospitals that offer specialized care for people recovering from conditions such as strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries, orthopedic conditions, and other illnesses or injuries. Its hospitals provide coordinated rehabilitation services, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy, alongside medical care. Encompass Health serves patients through facilities across the United States.