Chemed (NYSE:CHE) Hits New 12-Month Low on Disappointing Earnings

Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as low as $395.00 and last traded at $401.9530, with a volume of 175330 shares. The stock had previously closed at $466.60.

The company reported $6.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.02 by ($0.60). Chemed had a return on equity of 24.70% and a net margin of 10.48%.The business had revenue of $639.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $659.09 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $6.83 earnings per share. Chemed’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. Chemed has set its FY 2026 guidance at 23.250-24.250 EPS.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 23rd. Chemed’s payout ratio is currently 12.69%.

More Chemed News

Here are the key news stories impacting Chemed this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer lowered its price target but kept an “outperform” rating (PT cut to $500), signaling some analysts still see multi‑quarter upside despite the recent miss. Oppenheimer PT/Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $422 target (down from $572), reflecting a more cautious stance but not a full downgrade; this indicates mixed analyst conviction. RBC note
• Neutral Sentiment: Chemed issued FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $23.25–$24.25 (roughly in line but slightly below consensus), and said ~55% of 2026 earnings are likely back‑half weighted as it executes transition initiatives — guidance tempers but does not eliminate investor concern. Earnings release / guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings and conference-call transcripts were posted (Seeking Alpha, Yahoo, others); these provide management commentary on margin compression, VITAS trends and cash‑flow dynamics for investors doing deeper diligence. Earnings call transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks highlights the headline: Q4 EPS and revenue missed consensus, margins contracted and the FY‑2026 EPS outlook came in below street expectations — the earnings shock was the primary catalyst for the sharp share drop. Zacks: Earnings & margins miss
• Negative Sentiment: Detailed quarter metrics (QuiverQuant) show revenue and EPS declines, steeper drops in operating cash flow and lower cash balances — these raise near‑term liquidity and execution risk concerns for investors. QuiverQuant: Financial details
• Negative Sentiment: Johnson Fistel announced an investigation into possible claims tied to Chemed executives — potential litigation risk can amplify selling pressure and valuation uncertainty. GlobeNewswire: Investigation notice
• Negative Sentiment: BofA cut Chemed to neutral after the Q4 miss — another sign of weakening analyst conviction that can pressure sentiment until evidence of margin/cash‑flow stabilization appears. MSN / BofA note

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CHE has been the subject of several research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $422.00 price objective (down from $572.00) on shares of Chemed in a research report on Friday. Oppenheimer decreased their price target on shares of Chemed from $580.00 to $500.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chemed in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Chemed from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $498.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Chemed

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Chemed by 2,444,879.3% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 5,550,103 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,374,667,000 after purchasing an additional 5,549,876 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Chemed by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 521,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $223,301,000 after buying an additional 21,932 shares during the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Chemed by 13.6% during the third quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC now owns 385,124 shares of the company’s stock valued at $172,435,000 after buying an additional 46,038 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 89.2% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 325,579 shares of the company’s stock valued at $139,302,000 after buying an additional 153,469 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Asset Management Inc grew its position in shares of Chemed by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 324,546 shares of the company’s stock worth $138,860,000 after buying an additional 22,715 shares during the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Chemed Trading Up 3.4%

The stock has a market cap of $5.81 billion, a PE ratio of 22.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.44. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $446.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $443.89.

About Chemed

Chemed Corporation is a diversified provider of essential home services and healthcare solutions in the United States. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company operates through two principal business segments—Roto-Rooter and Vitas Healthcare. Since its founding in 1974, Chemed has built a reputation for reliability and expertise, serving both residential and commercial customers across a broad range of markets.

The Roto-Rooter segment offers a comprehensive suite of plumbing, drain cleaning and water restoration services.