Washington Capital Management Inc. Has $474,000 Stock Holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Washington Capital Management Inc. decreased its position in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 31.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,900 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,200 shares during the period. Washington Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $474,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Creative Planning increased its stake in Encompass Health by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 19,086 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,844,000 after purchasing an additional 743 shares in the last quarter. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC lifted its stake in Encompass Health by 43.7% in the third quarter. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC now owns 60,553 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,852,000 after buying an additional 18,407 shares in the last quarter. CHICAGO TRUST Co NA acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the third quarter valued at approximately $221,000. Reinhart Partners LLC. increased its position in shares of Encompass Health by 2.4% during the third quarter. Reinhart Partners LLC. now owns 673,040 shares of the company’s stock worth $65,043,000 after acquiring an additional 15,550 shares in the last quarter. Finally, West Coast Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 1.5% during the third quarter. West Coast Financial LLC now owns 47,671 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,607,000 after acquiring an additional 697 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Encompass Health stock traded up $0.40 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $96.70. 93,586 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 627,488. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a current ratio of 1.35. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $91.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $87.44. The firm has a market cap of $9.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.88. Encompass Health Co. has a 52 week low of $57.55 and a 52 week high of $97.56.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 5th. The company reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.10. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.83% and a net margin of 7.88%. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.30 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.95 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, October 1st. This is a boost from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.38%.

Encompass Health declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, July 24th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 5.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. KeyCorp initiated coverage on Encompass Health in a report on Friday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $115.00 target price for the company. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Encompass Health from $104.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $113.00 to $109.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, September 26th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $104.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Encompass Health news, CFO Douglas E. Coltharp sold 12,260 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total value of $1,058,528.40. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 136,227 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,761,839.18. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Encompass Health Company 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.