Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) Given Average Rating of “Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) have received an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eleven ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have assigned a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $142.8571.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Encompass Health from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. KeyCorp increased their target price on Encompass Health from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 16th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 31st.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EHC. Citizens National Bank Trust Department acquired a new position in Encompass Health during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 56.7% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 279 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 88.1% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 299 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

EHC stock opened at $102.89 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. Encompass Health has a 52-week low of $90.67 and a 52-week high of $127.99. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $110.79 and its 200-day simple moving average is $117.02.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 16th. The company reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.84% and a net margin of 9.33%.The firm had revenue of $136.30 million for the quarter. Equities research analysts expect that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

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

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.