Boston Partners Increases Stock Position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Boston Partners increased its holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 51.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 17,070 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,787 shares during the quarter. Boston Partners’ holdings in Chemed were worth $9,046,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Chemed by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 464,354 shares of the company’s stock worth $279,063,000 after purchasing an additional 3,564 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Chemed by 4.9% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 335,443 shares of the company’s stock worth $201,820,000 after purchasing an additional 15,791 shares in the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp lifted its position in shares of Chemed by 10.0% during the fourth quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 242,172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $128,303,000 after buying an additional 22,105 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 23.8% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 238,616 shares of the company’s stock valued at $143,401,000 after buying an additional 45,917 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Chemed by 16.8% in the 4th quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 151,623 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,330,000 after buying an additional 21,834 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $593.67, for a total value of $1,187,340.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 102,679 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $60,957,441.93. This represents a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins purchased 145 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 30th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $519.50 per share, with a total value of $75,327.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,678 shares in the company, valued at $871,721. This trade represents a 9.46 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Stock Down 0.3 %

CHE opened at $601.83 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $8.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.43. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $566.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $565.60. Chemed Co. has a 52-week low of $512.12 and a 52-week high of $648.75.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.33%. Chemed’s payout ratio is 10.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CHE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Chemed from $633.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th.

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.