Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Given New $110.00 Price Target at Royal Bank of Canada

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) had its target price upped by Royal Bank of Canada from $105.00 to $110.00 in a research note published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on EHC. KeyCorp increased their target price on Encompass Health from $115.00 to $117.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Barclays raised their target price on Encompass Health from $109.00 to $116.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Leerink Partners assumed coverage on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Wednesday, July 10th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $107.11.

Encompass Health Trading Up 1.3 %

NYSE:EHC opened at $101.35 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $94.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $88.61. Encompass Health has a 12-month low of $61.08 and a 12-month high of $102.36. The firm has a market cap of $10.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.48, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.88.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.94 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.33 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 7.88% and a return on equity of 17.83%. Encompass Health’s quarterly revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.86 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Encompass Health will post 4.18 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health declared that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Wednesday, July 24th that authorizes the company to repurchase $500.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.67%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.43%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total transaction of $1,058,528.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 136,227 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,761,839.18. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encompass Health

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of EHC. State of Michigan Retirement System raised its holdings in Encompass Health by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. State of Michigan Retirement System now owns 24,645 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,035,000 after acquiring an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue lifted its position in Encompass Health by 11.5% during the first quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 12,076 shares of the company’s stock worth $997,000 after buying an additional 1,250 shares during the period. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 8,619 shares of the company’s stock worth $712,000 after buying an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Encompass Health by 1.2% in the 1st quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC now owns 12,070 shares of the company’s stock valued at $997,000 after buying an additional 140 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 57.5% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 30,313 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,503,000 after acquiring an additional 11,070 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

About Encompass Health

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.