National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) Upgraded by BMO Capital Markets to “Hold” Rating

National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) was upgraded by equities research analysts at BMO Capital Markets to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Separately, Robert W. Baird raised shares of National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, National HealthCare presently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

National HealthCare Price Performance

Shares of NYSEAMERICAN NHC opened at $196.30 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $168.98 and a 200-day moving average price of $151.30. The stock has a market cap of $3.07 billion, a PE ratio of 24.94 and a beta of 0.64. National HealthCare has a 1 year low of $93.54 and a 1 year high of $199.62.

National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $381.82 million during the quarter. National HealthCare had a net margin of 8.10% and a return on equity of 9.98%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National HealthCare

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NHC. M Holdings Securities Inc. purchased a new position in National HealthCare during the third quarter valued at $56,283,000. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in National HealthCare by 38.6% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,038,787 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,407,000 after acquiring an additional 289,566 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its position in National HealthCare by 556.4% during the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 207,483 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,211,000 after purchasing an additional 175,873 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in National HealthCare by 407.2% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 75,257 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,019,000 after purchasing an additional 60,420 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alps Advisors Inc. lifted its position in National HealthCare by 19.9% during the third quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 176,002 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,386,000 after purchasing an additional 29,246 shares during the last quarter. 56.44% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National HealthCare Company Profile

National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE American: NHC) is a healthcare services company specializing in long-term care and post-acute rehabilitation. The company operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and outpatient therapy clinics. Through its subsidiary, National HealthCare Partners, NHC provides contract rehabilitation services, pharmacy management and clinical consulting to a broad network of senior living and healthcare providers.

Headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, National HealthCare Corporation has built a regional footprint across the southeastern and south-central United States.