Ethic Inc. Invests $1.27 Million in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Ethic Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 10,017 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,272,000.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the second quarter worth approximately $139,536,000. Congress Asset Management Co. bought a new position in Encompass Health in the second quarter worth approximately $92,691,000. 8 Knots Management LLC bought a new position in Encompass Health in the second quarter worth approximately $78,644,000. Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Encompass Health during the 1st quarter worth $34,364,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP bought a new stake in Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,719,000. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Encompass Health Stock Up 0.2%

NYSE:EHC opened at $106.40 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $112.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $117.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. Encompass Health Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $87.85 and a fifty-two week high of $127.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.74.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 16th. The company reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $136.30 million during the quarter. Encompass Health had a net margin of 9.33% and a return on equity of 17.84%. Encompass Health has set its FY22 guidance at $3.83-$4.19 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Encompass Health Corporation will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 2nd will be given a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 2nd. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EHC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Raymond James Financial raised Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $141.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, November 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $142.86.

Encompass Health Company Profile

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.