AXQ Capital LP Takes $985,000 Position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

AXQ Capital LP acquired a new position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 10,671 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $985,000.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter worth about $207,000. CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 2,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $286,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 101,296 shares of the company’s stock worth $9,789,000 after purchasing an additional 7,294 shares during the period. Pathstone Holdings LLC boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 54.5% in the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 21,022 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,032,000 after purchasing an additional 7,412 shares during the period. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 14.7% during the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 44,017 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,254,000 after acquiring an additional 5,647 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Encompass Health

In other news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. This represents a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

EHC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 15th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays lifted their price target on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, KeyCorp lifted their price target on Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $107.67.

Encompass Health Price Performance

EHC opened at $97.05 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.05. Encompass Health Co. has a 52-week low of $76.11 and a 52-week high of $104.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.77 billion, a PE ratio of 21.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $97.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $97.10.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.56% and a net margin of 8.48%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.70%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.25%.

Encompass Health Company Profile

Encompass Health Corporation provides post-acute healthcare services in the United States and Puerto Rico. It owns and operates inpatient rehabilitation hospitals that provide medical, nursing, therapy, and ancillary services. The company provides specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis to patients who have experienced physical or cognitive disabilities or injuries due to medical conditions, such as strokes, hip fractures, and various debilitating neurological conditions.