VELA Investment Management LLC Has $3.53 Million Holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

VELA Investment Management LLC decreased its position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 36,508 shares of the company’s stock after selling 144 shares during the quarter. Encompass Health accounts for approximately 1.1% of VELA Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. VELA Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $3,528,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in Encompass Health by 387.7% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 317 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC raised its position in Encompass Health by 53.0% during the third quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. acquired a new position in Encompass Health during the second quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 58.9% during the second quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 534 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the second quarter worth $58,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently weighed in on EHC. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Leerink Partnrs upgraded shares of Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Truist Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $116.00 price objective (up previously from $108.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $115.00 to $117.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $107.11.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In related news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total value of $1,058,528.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 136,227 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,761,839.18. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of EHC traded down $0.55 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $98.91. The stock had a trading volume of 771,681 shares, compared to its average volume of 640,710. The firm has a market cap of $9.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.88, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.88. Encompass Health Co. has a 12 month low of $62.58 and a 12 month high of $102.36. The business has a fifty day moving average of $94.47 and a 200 day moving average of $88.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.09. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.10% and a return on equity of 17.60%. The business had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.86 earnings per share. Encompass Health’s quarterly revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.27 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 2nd. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is presently 16.43%.

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

About Encompass Health

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.