Encompass Health Corporation $EHC Shares Bought by KBC Group NV

KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 1,201.9% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 37,522 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 34,640 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $3,630,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Encompass Health by 3,059,159.7% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 3,793,482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $402,640,000 after purchasing an additional 3,793,358 shares in the last quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the fourth quarter worth about $4,881,000. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Encompass Health by 1,070.9% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 88,054 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,346,000 after purchasing an additional 80,534 shares during the last quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lifted its stake in Encompass Health by 28.4% in the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 267,658 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,409,000 after buying an additional 59,202 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sivik Global Healthcare LLC boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 42.9% in the 4th quarter. Sivik Global Healthcare LLC now owns 50,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,307,000 after buying an additional 15,000 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In related news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.56, for a total transaction of $71,309.92. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,755 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,588,382.80. This trade represents a 2.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Shares of Encompass Health stock opened at $112.66 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $104.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $103.80. The company has a market cap of $11.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.81, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17. Encompass Health Corporation has a one year low of $92.77 and a one year high of $127.99.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.09. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.28% and a net margin of 10.04%.The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.57 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.37 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.890-6.110 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Encompass Health Corporation will post 5.96 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, October 1st will be issued a $0.21 dividend. This is an increase from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, October 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is currently 14.02%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on EHC shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 price target on Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Barclays dropped their price target on Encompass Health from $153.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Weiss Ratings lowered Encompass Health from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $143.86.

About Encompass Health

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.