Larson Financial Group LLC Buys 73 Shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 86.9% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 157 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 73 shares during the period. Larson Financial Group LLC’s holdings in Chemed were worth $92,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Chemed by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 534,123 shares of the company’s stock valued at $277,584,000 after buying an additional 17,487 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Chemed by 0.3% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 386,237 shares of the company’s stock worth $200,727,000 after acquiring an additional 1,044 shares in the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc lifted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 311,191 shares of the company’s stock worth $161,726,000 after acquiring an additional 12,608 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Chemed by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 287,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $149,355,000 after purchasing an additional 24,161 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Chemed by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 228,040 shares of the company’s stock valued at $118,513,000 after purchasing an additional 4,802 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Chemed

In other Chemed news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $641.65, for a total transaction of $1,283,300.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,760 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,320,654. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Chemed news, CFO Michael D. Witzeman sold 2,650 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $643.14, for a total value of $1,704,321.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 2,882 shares in the company, valued at $1,853,529.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $641.65, for a total transaction of $1,283,300.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 20,760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,320,654. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 15,808 shares of company stock worth $10,184,531 over the last quarter. 3.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on CHE. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 4th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th.

Chemed Stock Down 7.2 %

NYSE:CHE opened at $573.34 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.42. Chemed Co. has a 52 week low of $492.84 and a 52 week high of $654.62. The company has a fifty day moving average of $624.00 and a 200 day moving average of $590.66.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.09 by ($0.41). The firm had revenue of $589.23 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $587.18 million. Chemed had a net margin of 12.36% and a return on equity of 31.69%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Chemed Co. will post 21.99 EPS for the current year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 26th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.28%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.61%.

About Chemed

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.