Ausbil Investment Management Ltd Buys 1,016 Shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Ausbil Investment Management Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 105.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,980 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,016 shares during the quarter. Ausbil Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in Chemed were worth $1,059,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Chemed by 300.0% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 52 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in Chemed in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. American National Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of Chemed during the third quarter valued at approximately $61,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Chemed by 60.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new position in shares of Chemed in the 3rd quarter worth $201,000. 95.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 732 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $575.62, for a total transaction of $421,353.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 18,287 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,526,362.94. This represents a 3.85 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins acquired 145 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $519.50 per share, with a total value of $75,327.50. Following the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 1,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $871,721. The trade was a 9.46 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 3.32% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CHE has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com raised shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 30th.

Chemed Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:CHE opened at $562.09 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $8.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.40, a PEG ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.47. The business’s 50 day moving average is $544.78 and its 200 day moving average is $564.03. Chemed Co. has a 12-month low of $512.12 and a 12-month high of $654.62.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.76 by ($0.12). Chemed had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The firm had revenue of $606.18 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $612.22 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.32 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 18th. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.11%.

About Chemed

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.