Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eleven research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $107.67.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. KeyCorp lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, February 11th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 15th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares in the company, valued at $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. 111 Capital bought a new position in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth $502,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Encompass Health by 46.0% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 19,204 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,774,000 after acquiring an additional 6,053 shares during the period. Centaurus Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Encompass Health by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 1,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $148,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares during the period. ABLE Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 20.1% during the 4th quarter. ABLE Financial Group LLC now owns 12,528 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,157,000 after purchasing an additional 2,100 shares during the period. Finally, PharVision Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth about $572,000. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Trading Down 2.1 %

Encompass Health stock opened at $97.05 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $97.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $97.13. Encompass Health has a 52 week low of $76.11 and a 52 week high of $104.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. Research analysts forecast that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is presently 15.25%.

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.