Fifth Third Bancorp Raises Stake in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 675.6% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 38,282 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 33,346 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $3,703,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Candriam S.C.A. bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the first quarter valued at about $6,711,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the first quarter valued at approximately $87,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in Encompass Health by 37.4% during the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 379,586 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,481,000 after acquiring an additional 103,392 shares in the last quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC grew its stake in Encompass Health by 18.0% during the first quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 6,594 shares of the company’s stock valued at $638,000 after acquiring an additional 1,004 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Encompass Health by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 20,670 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,999,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Stock Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE EHC opened at $112.24 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.74, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.74. Encompass Health Corporation has a one year low of $92.77 and a one year high of $127.99. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $104.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $103.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.17.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 18.28%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.37 EPS. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.890-6.110 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Encompass Health Corporation will post 5.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st were paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, July 1st. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 12.69%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insider Activity at Encompass Health

In other news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.56, for a total value of $71,309.92. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 24,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,588,382.80. The trade was a 2.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

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.