Federated Hermes Inc. Trims Holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Federated Hermes Inc. trimmed its holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 10.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,719 shares of the company’s stock after selling 204 shares during the quarter. Federated Hermes Inc.’s holdings in Chemed were worth $1,005,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chemed during the third quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Legacy Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Chemed during the third quarter valued at $48,000. Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in Chemed by 27.4% in the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 144 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chemed in the third quarter worth $126,000. Finally, Silver Oak Securities Incorporated bought a new position in shares of Chemed during the third quarter valued at $126,000. 95.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Chemed Stock Performance

NYSE CHE opened at $568.11 on Wednesday. Chemed Co. has a one year low of $492.84 and a one year high of $654.62. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $622.59 and a 200 day moving average of $592.76. The company has a market capitalization of $8.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.58, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.42.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.09 by ($0.41). The company had revenue of $589.23 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $587.18 million. Chemed had a return on equity of 30.52% and a net margin of 12.36%. On average, equities analysts predict that Chemed Co. will post 21.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.28%. Chemed’s payout ratio is currently 8.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Chemed from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 26th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 4th.

Insider Transactions at Chemed

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

Chemed Company Profile

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.