Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Price Target Raised to $105.00

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) had its price target increased by Royal Bank of Canada from $95.00 to $105.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday. Stephens reissued an overweight rating and issued a $105.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Barclays reduced their target price on Encompass Health from $113.00 to $109.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 6th. Truist Financial raised their target price on Encompass Health from $100.00 to $104.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Leerink Partners started coverage on Encompass Health in a research note on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued an outperform rating and a $100.00 price target on the stock. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health currently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $102.88.

Encompass Health Price Performance

EHC stock opened at $96.01 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $91.00 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $85.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.95, a PEG ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.88. Encompass Health has a 12-month low of $57.55 and a 12-month high of $97.56.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.10. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.83% and a net margin of 7.88%. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.95 EPS. Encompass Health’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Encompass Health will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.71%. This is an increase from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is 18.38%.

Encompass Health declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, July 24th that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In other Encompass Health news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total transaction of $1,058,528.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 136,227 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,761,839.18. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encompass Health

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. 8 Knots Management LLC bought a new position in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $75,424,000. Magnetar Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 1,176.6% during the second quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC now owns 744,836 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,899,000 after purchasing an additional 814,018 shares in the last quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. boosted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 102.9% during the fourth quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 1,399,341 shares of the company’s stock valued at $93,364,000 after buying an additional 709,593 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in Encompass Health by 2,302.7% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 603,558 shares of the company’s stock worth $51,780,000 after buying an additional 578,438 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in Encompass Health by 614.8% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 540,519 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,637,000 after buying an additional 464,897 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Company Profile

Encompass Health Corporation provides post-acute healthcare services in the United States and Puerto Rico. It owns and operates inpatient rehabilitation hospitals that provide medical, nursing, therapy, and ancillary services. The company provides specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis to patients who have experienced physical or cognitive disabilities or injuries due to medical conditions, such as strokes, hip fractures, and various debilitating neurological conditions.