Virtus Advisers LLC Takes $448,000 Position in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 4,432 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $448,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EHC. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 3,059,159.7% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 3,793,482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $402,640,000 after purchasing an additional 3,793,358 shares in the last quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter worth about $4,881,000. Systematic Financial Management LP grew its position in Encompass Health by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 440,752 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,782,000 after buying an additional 15,462 shares in the last quarter. Trillium Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Encompass Health by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Trillium Asset Management LLC now owns 217,734 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,424,000 after buying an additional 11,793 shares during the period. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its stake in Encompass Health by 2,468.6% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 11,533 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,224,000 after buying an additional 11,084 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

NYSE EHC opened at $120.89 on Friday. Encompass Health Corporation has a 1 year low of $92.77 and a 1 year high of $127.99. The business’s fifty day moving average is $110.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $106.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.69, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a current ratio of 1.19.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $1.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.08% and a net margin of 10.01%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.40 EPS. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.250 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Encompass Health Corporation will post 6.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. This is a boost from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.38%.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 8,906 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.95, for a total value of $1,121,710.70. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 75,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,451,413.95. This trade represents a 10.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 173,148 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.47, for a total transaction of $21,724,879.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 267,814 shares in the company, valued at $33,602,622.58. This represents a 39.27% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on EHC shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, August 16th. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 target price on Encompass Health in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Barclays increased their price target on Encompass Health from $140.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Encompass Health from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Encompass Health from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $148.71.

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.