Amedisys (NASDAQ:AMED) Sees Large Volume Increase – Still a Buy?

Shares of Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMED) saw an uptick in trading volume on Tuesday . 893,598 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 167% from the previous session’s volume of 334,064 shares.The stock last traded at $96.94 and had previously closed at $94.22.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $101.00 price objective on shares of Amedisys in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Amedisys from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $100.00 price objective on shares of Amedisys in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Amedisys has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $100.75.

Amedisys Trading Up 2.9%

The firm has a market cap of $3.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $93.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $91.76.

Amedisys (NASDAQ:AMED) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 23rd. The health services provider reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.13 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $594.78 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $597.43 million. Amedisys had a net margin of 3.57% and a return on equity of 12.20%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.03 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Amedisys, Inc. will post 4.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AMED. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Amedisys in the 4th quarter valued at about $83,061,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Amedisys during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $72,970,000. Pentwater Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of Amedisys by 178.3% in the fourth quarter. Pentwater Capital Management LP now owns 1,180,000 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $107,132,000 after purchasing an additional 756,000 shares in the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in Amedisys by 838,295.7% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 192,831 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $17,931,000 after purchasing an additional 192,808 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Arbitrage LLC lifted its holdings in Amedisys by 59.1% during the 4th quarter. AQR Arbitrage LLC now owns 471,965 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $42,812,000 after buying an additional 175,311 shares in the last quarter. 94.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Amedisys

Amedisys, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides healthcare services in the United States. It operates through three segments: Home Health, Hospice, and High Acuity Care. The Home Health segment offers a range of services in the homes of individuals for the recovery of patients from surgery, chronic disability, or terminal illness, as well as prevents avoidable hospital readmissions through its skilled nurses; nursing services, rehabilitation therapists specialized in physical, speech, and occupational therapy; and social workers and aides for assisting its patients.