Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Short Interest Update

Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 265,700 shares, an increase of 9.4% from the November 30th total of 242,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 96,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.8 days. Approximately 1.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Chemed Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of CHE traded up $1.97 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $529.80. 96,008 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 87,435. The company’s 50 day moving average is $553.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $563.18. The company has a market capitalization of $7.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.77, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.46. Chemed has a 52 week low of $512.12 and a 52 week high of $654.62.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.76 by ($0.12). Chemed had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The company had revenue of $606.18 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $612.22 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $5.32 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Chemed will post 21.43 EPS for the current year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.38%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.11%.

Insider Transactions at Chemed

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in Chemed in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $61,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Chemed by 60.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock valued at $83,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP increased its position in shares of Chemed by 721.7% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 189 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Chemed in the 3rd quarter worth $201,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in Chemed by 2,314.3% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 338 shares of the company’s stock worth $203,000 after acquiring an additional 324 shares during the period. 95.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Chemed Company 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.