Signaturefd LLC Raises Holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 385 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC’s holdings in Chemed were worth $225,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CHE. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA purchased a new position in shares of Chemed during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $47,655,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chemed during the 4th quarter worth approximately $430,970,000. FMR LLC increased its stake in shares of Chemed by 15.4% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 214,994 shares of the company’s stock worth $111,732,000 after purchasing an additional 28,682 shares in the last quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Chemed by 15.3% in the 3rd quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 203,510 shares of the company’s stock worth $105,764,000 after acquiring an additional 27,029 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Chemed by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 287,386 shares of the company’s stock worth $149,355,000 after acquiring an additional 24,161 shares during the period. 95.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In related news, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total transaction of $7,196,910.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $917,190. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Michael D. Witzeman sold 2,650 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $643.14, for a total transaction of $1,704,321.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 2,882 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,853,529.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total transaction of $7,196,910.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $917,190. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 15,808 shares of company stock worth $10,184,531 in the last quarter. 3.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Chemed Stock Down 2.3 %

Shares of CHE opened at $560.42 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $8.47 billion, a PE ratio of 30.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.42. The company’s fifty day moving average is $623.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $590.84. Chemed Co. has a fifty-two week low of $492.84 and a fifty-two week high of $654.62.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.09 by ($0.41). The company had revenue of $589.23 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $587.18 million. Chemed had a net margin of 12.36% and a return on equity of 30.52%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Chemed Co. will post 21.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.29%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 8.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHE has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 4th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Chemed from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday.

About Chemed

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.