AlphaCentric Advisors LLC Takes Position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

AlphaCentric Advisors LLC bought a new position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 982 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $520,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CHE. EP Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Chemed by 1.9% in the third quarter. EP Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,354 shares of the company’s stock worth $814,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its holdings in Chemed by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 655 shares of the company’s stock worth $394,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. First Heartland Consultants Inc. lifted its position in Chemed by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. First Heartland Consultants Inc. now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock worth $305,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. boosted its holdings in Chemed by 4.5% during the third quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 887 shares of the company’s stock valued at $533,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, KBC Group NV grew its position in shares of Chemed by 11.5% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 378 shares of the company’s stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Price Performance

NYSE CHE opened at $553.10 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $542.34 and its two-hundred day moving average is $564.65. Chemed Co. has a 52-week low of $512.12 and a 52-week high of $654.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.48.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.36%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is 10.11%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com raised Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 30th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In other Chemed news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $572.77, for a total transaction of $1,145,540.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 101,735 shares in the company, valued at $58,270,755.95. This trade represents a 1.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins acquired 145 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $519.50 per share, for a total transaction of $75,327.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 1,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $871,721. This represents a 9.46 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Profile

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.