Phocas Financial Corp. Sells 67,470 Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Phocas Financial Corp. lessened its holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 85.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 11,911 shares of the company’s stock after selling 67,470 shares during the period. Phocas Financial Corp.’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $1,100,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 2,458.5% in the third quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 869,104 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,990,000 after purchasing an additional 835,135 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC bought a new position in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth about $52,094,000. abrdn plc purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the fourth quarter worth approximately $17,846,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 26.0% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 760,496 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,494,000 after acquiring an additional 156,938 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 22.0% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 700,021 shares of the company’s stock valued at $67,412,000 after purchasing an additional 126,000 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on EHC shares. StockNews.com upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, February 15th. KeyCorp increased their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Truist Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $116.00 price target (up previously from $108.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at $6,798,129.56. The trade was a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EHC opened at $100.65 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. Encompass Health Co. has a twelve month low of $73.68 and a twelve month high of $104.55. The company’s 50 day moving average is $96.08 and its 200 day moving average is $96.15. The company has a market cap of $10.14 billion, a PE ratio of 22.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.90.

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

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is presently 15.25%.

Encompass Health 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.