Verus Capital Partners LLC Increases Stock Holdings in DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA)

Verus Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA) by 26.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,639 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 341 shares during the quarter. Verus Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in DaVita were worth $245,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Transcendent Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of DaVita in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of DaVita in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $60,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of DaVita by 59.8% in the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 406 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of DaVita by 58.7% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 457 shares of the company’s stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of DaVita by 39.7% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 461 shares of the company’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. 90.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

DaVita Stock Up 0.7 %

DVA opened at $147.83 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $160.66 and its two-hundred day moving average is $158.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.18, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.26. The company has a market cap of $11.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.76, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.94. DaVita Inc. has a one year low of $124.70 and a one year high of $179.60.

DaVita (NYSE:DVA) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The company reported $2.24 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.14 by $0.10. DaVita had a return on equity of 115.48% and a net margin of 7.31%. Analysts anticipate that DaVita Inc. will post 10.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on DVA. Barclays lifted their price target on DaVita from $164.00 to $169.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 18th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $184.00 price objective on DaVita in a report on Friday, February 21st. Finally, Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of DaVita in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, DaVita has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $166.33.

About DaVita

DaVita Inc provides kidney dialysis services for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure in the United States. The company operates kidney dialysis centers and provides related lab services in outpatient dialysis centers. It also offers outpatient, hospital inpatient, and home-based hemodialysis services; operates clinical laboratories that provide routine laboratory tests for dialysis and other physician-prescribed laboratory tests for ESRD patients; and management and administrative services to outpatient dialysis centers.