Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Analysts

Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) has earned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the ten research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have given a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $143.2857.

Several research firms have issued reports on EHC. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $150.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, January 18th.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In other news, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 150,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.64, for a total transaction of $16,746,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 377,070 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $42,096,094.80. The trade was a 28.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Treasurer Edmund Fay sold 11,937 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $107.00, for a total transaction of $1,277,259.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the treasurer owned 89,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,557,775. This trade represents a 11.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 2.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encompass Health

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in Encompass Health by 57.8% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,194,859 shares of the company’s stock worth $151,544,000 after buying an additional 437,464 shares during the last quarter. Ethic Inc. bought a new position in Encompass Health during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,272,000. Jennison Associates LLC raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 12.8% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 894,511 shares of the company’s stock worth $113,621,000 after acquiring an additional 101,274 shares in the last quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 155.3% during the third quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 210,712 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,765,000 after acquiring an additional 128,191 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,719,000. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Encompass Health Stock Up 0.7%

EHC stock opened at $97.40 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $102.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $110.61. Encompass Health has a twelve month low of $92.77 and a twelve month high of $127.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.68 billion, a PE ratio of 17.58, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.54 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 9.54% and a return on equity of 18.20%. Encompass Health’s revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.17 earnings per share. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.810-6.100 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be given a dividend of $0.19 per share. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 1st. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is presently 13.72%.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health Corporation is a leading provider of post‐acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a comprehensive network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home health and hospice agencies. Its inpatient rehabilitation hospitals offer intensive therapy programs for patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cardiac and pulmonary disorders, and orthopedic procedures. Through its home health segment, Encompass Health delivers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to patients in the comfort of their homes, while its hospice services provide end‐of‐life care focused on symptom management and emotional support for patients and families.

Founded in 1984 as HealthSouth Corporation and rebranded as Encompass Health in 2018, the company has grown organically and through acquisitions to serve patients across more than 30 states.