Select Medical Holdings Corporation (NYSE:SEM) Short Interest Down 14.0% in February

Select Medical Holdings Corporation (NYSE:SEM) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 3,515,119 shares, a decline of 14.0% from the January 29th total of 4,089,664 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 844,959 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.2 days. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 3.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 844,959 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.2 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Select Medical from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Select Medical from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Select Medical in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $16.50 price objective (down from $19.00) on shares of Select Medical in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Select Medical from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.63.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in SEM. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp raised its holdings in Select Medical by 889.7% during the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 64,094 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $823,000 after purchasing an additional 57,618 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board lifted its stake in Select Medical by 21.3% in the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 430,472 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $5,527,000 after buying an additional 75,530 shares during the last quarter. Dana Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Select Medical by 52.9% in the third quarter. Dana Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 524,621 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $6,736,000 after acquiring an additional 181,436 shares during the period. Western Standard LLC purchased a new position in shares of Select Medical during the third quarter worth approximately $13,551,000. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC increased its holdings in shares of Select Medical by 38.3% in the 2nd quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC now owns 139,435 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $2,117,000 after acquiring an additional 38,607 shares during the period. 89.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Select Medical Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE SEM traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $16.24. 3,654,383 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,186,409. The firm has a market cap of $2.01 billion, a PE ratio of 14.12, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.04 and a quick ratio of 1.04. Select Medical has a 52-week low of $11.65 and a 52-week high of $18.60. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.34 and a 200 day simple moving average of $14.24.

Select Medical (NYSE:SEM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The health services provider reported $0.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.23 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.36 billion. Select Medical had a net margin of 2.68% and a return on equity of 7.26%. Select Medical’s quarterly revenue was up 6.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.18 earnings per share. Select Medical has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.220-1.320 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Select Medical will post 1.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Select Medical declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Thursday, February 19th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the health services provider to purchase up to 49.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Select Medical Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Select Medical’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.74%.

About Select Medical

Select Medical is a leading provider of specialized healthcare services in the United States, operating through two primary business segments: Hospital Division and Outpatient Rehabilitation Division. The Hospital Division offers long-term acute care (LTAC) hospitals and inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) that serve patients recovering from complex illnesses, trauma or surgery. The Outpatient Rehabilitation Division delivers physical, occupational and speech therapy services through a network of clinic locations and home-based care programs.

Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Select Medical was founded in 1996 and has grown through strategic partnerships, joint ventures and acquisitions.