Victory Capital Management Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC)

Victory Capital Management Inc. lowered its holdings in Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 572,019 shares of the company’s stock after selling 27,369 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 0.57% of Encompass Health worth $55,280,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Encompass Health by 275.7% in the second quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 35,799 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,071,000 after purchasing an additional 26,270 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Encompass Health by 85.6% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 14,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,232,000 after acquiring an additional 6,627 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Encompass Health in the second quarter worth about $2,204,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 532.4% during the third quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 50,290 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,860,000 after purchasing an additional 42,338 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kennedy Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 19.6% during the first quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 99,720 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,235,000 after purchasing an additional 16,318 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Trading Down 1.5 %

Shares of EHC stock opened at $101.19 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. Encompass Health Co. has a 12-month low of $63.59 and a 12-month high of $104.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.88. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $96.08 and its 200 day moving average is $90.07.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 28th. The company reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.94 by $0.09. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 17.60% and a net margin of 8.10%. The company had revenue of $1.35 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.86 earnings per share. Encompass Health’s revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Encompass Health Co. will post 4.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Wednesday, July 24th that allows the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 5.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, January 2nd will be issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.67%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 2nd. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is 16.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, August 6th. Truist Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $116.00 price target (up previously from $108.00) on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $109.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $107.11.

Encompass Health 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.