Chemed (NYSE:CHE) Shares Down 3.8% – Here’s Why

Shares of Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE) traded down 3.8% on Thursday . The company traded as low as $427.85 and last traded at $436.2860. 45,218 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 67% from the average session volume of 136,003 shares. The stock had previously closed at $453.53.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHE has been the subject of several recent research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Chemed from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Chemed from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Chemed from $589.00 to $572.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chemed in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Chemed has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $555.50.

Chemed Stock Down 1.9%

The company has a market capitalization of $6.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.44. The business’s 50-day moving average is $436.21 and its two-hundred day moving average is $443.61.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The company reported $5.27 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.39 by ($0.12). Chemed had a net margin of 11.02% and a return on equity of 25.89%. The firm had revenue of $624.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $626.04 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $5.64 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. Chemed has set its FY 2025 guidance at 22.000-22.300 EPS. Analysts predict that Chemed Corporation will post 21.43 EPS for the current year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Chemed’s payout ratio is currently 12.69%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $437.55, for a total transaction of $875,100.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 94,197 shares in the company, valued at $41,215,897.35. The trade was a 2.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 3.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Chemed

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CHE. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Chemed by 330.4% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 99 shares of the company’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Chemed by 59.7% during the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,389 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,130,000 after purchasing an additional 893 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in Chemed by 148.0% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 372 shares of the company’s stock worth $181,000 after buying an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Fortune Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Chemed by 47.7% in the second quarter. Fortune Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,603 shares of the company’s stock valued at $781,000 after buying an additional 518 shares during the period. Finally, MBE Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Chemed by 9.0% in the second quarter. MBE Wealth Management LLC now owns 592 shares of the company’s stock valued at $288,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

About Chemed

Chemed Corporation is a diversified provider of essential home services and healthcare solutions in the United States. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company operates through two principal business segments—Roto-Rooter and Vitas Healthcare. Since its founding in 1974, Chemed has built a reputation for reliability and expertise, serving both residential and commercial customers across a broad range of markets.

The Roto-Rooter segment offers a comprehensive suite of plumbing, drain cleaning and water restoration services.