Encompass Health Corporation $EHC Shares Bought by Renaissance Technologies LLC

Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 288.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 265,000 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 196,800 shares during the quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $25,633,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. WPG Advisers LLC grew its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 73.3% during the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 36,200.0% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in Encompass Health by 89.6% in the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on EHC shares. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $153.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. TD Cowen started coverage on Encompass Health in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $143.86.

Insider Activity at Encompass Health

In other news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.56, for a total value of $71,309.92. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 24,755 shares in the company, valued at $2,588,382.80. This trade represents a 2.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EHC opened at $113.79 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $105.50 and a 200 day moving average of $103.94. The firm has a market cap of $11.29 billion, a PE ratio of 19.00, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.74. Encompass Health Corporation has a one year low of $92.77 and a one year high of $127.99.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.09. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 18.28%. The business had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.37 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Encompass Health Corporation will post 5.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.21 per share. This is an increase from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.69%.

Encompass Health Company Profile

Encompass Health Corporation is a leading provider of post?acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a comprehensive network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home health and hospice agencies. Its inpatient rehabilitation hospitals offer intensive therapy programs for patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cardiac and pulmonary disorders, and orthopedic procedures. Through its home health segment, Encompass Health delivers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to patients in the comfort of their homes, while its hospice services provide end?of?life care focused on symptom management and emotional support for patients and families.

Founded in 1984 as HealthSouth Corporation and rebranded as Encompass Health in 2018, the company has grown organically and through acquisitions to serve patients across more than 30 states.