Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Lowered to Hold Rating by StockNews.com

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) was downgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on EHC. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 7th. Barclays increased their price objective on Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $110.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.67.

Encompass Health Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE:EHC traded down $0.13 on Thursday, reaching $101.95. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,014,531 shares, compared to its average volume of 645,015. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $99.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $97.64. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The firm has a market cap of $10.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. Encompass Health has a 12-month low of $78.53 and a 12-month high of $104.55.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In other Encompass Health news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. The trade was a 6.79 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Encompass Health

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of EHC. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in Encompass Health by 38.1% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 38,397 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,711,000 after acquiring an additional 10,591 shares during the period. Townsquare Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter valued at about $405,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 62.0% in the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 1,095 shares of the company’s stock valued at $106,000 after purchasing an additional 419 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 37.2% in the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 6,298 shares of the company’s stock valued at $609,000 after purchasing an additional 1,707 shares during the period. Finally, IHT Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the third quarter worth about $233,000. 97.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.