Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Invests $744,000 in National HealthCare Corporation $NHC

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in National HealthCare Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 50,801 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $744,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio owned about 0.32% of National HealthCare at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in NHC. Mariner LLC increased its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 6,839 shares of the company’s stock worth $938,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of National HealthCare by 28.5% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its stake in shares of National HealthCare by 1.2% in the first quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 6,048 shares of the company’s stock valued at $966,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 3.3% during the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 2,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $338,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 1.2% during the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 7,969 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,275,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 56.44% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Robert W. Baird upgraded National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy”.

National HealthCare Stock Up 2.8%

Shares of NHC stock opened at $227.24 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $221.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $193.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.56 and a beta of 0.62. National HealthCare Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $112.95 and a fifty-two week high of $239.29.

National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter. National HealthCare had a net margin of 9.00% and a return on equity of 10.03%. The firm had revenue of $408.03 million for the quarter.

National HealthCare Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. National HealthCare’s payout ratio is presently 61.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Stephen Fowler Flatt sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.08, for a total transaction of $355,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 65,487 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,525,657.96. This represents a 2.24% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director David R. Gifford sold 1,779 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.42, for a total transaction of $401,022.18. Following the sale, the director directly owned 1,030 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $232,182.60. This represents a 63.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 13.92% of the stock is owned by insiders.

National HealthCare 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.