Handelsbanken Fonder AB Has $2.10 Million Stock Position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its stake in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 2.6% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 3,972 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Chemed were worth $2,104,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Creative Planning increased its position in Chemed by 57.3% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 1,932 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,161,000 after purchasing an additional 704 shares in the last quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Chemed during the third quarter worth $293,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Chemed during the third quarter worth $2,301,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chemed by 6.8% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,175 shares of the company’s stock worth $706,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Chemed by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 887 shares of the company’s stock valued at $533,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In other Chemed news, VP Brian C. Judkins bought 145 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $519.50 per share, for a total transaction of $75,327.50. Following the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 1,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $871,721. The trade was a 9.46 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Stock Performance

Shares of CHE stock opened at $551.28 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $8.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.86, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.48. Chemed Co. has a fifty-two week low of $512.12 and a fifty-two week high of $654.62. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $543.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $563.22.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.36%. Chemed’s payout ratio is currently 10.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on CHE shares. StockNews.com upgraded Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 30th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th.

Chemed Profile

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.