Norges Bank Purchases New Position in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Norges Bank acquired a new position in Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 1,255,148 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $133,221,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of EHC. AlphaCore Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the fourth quarter valued at $4,881,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 3,059,159.7% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 3,793,482 shares of the company’s stock worth $402,640,000 after buying an additional 3,793,358 shares in the last quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 155.3% in the 3rd quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 210,712 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,765,000 after buying an additional 128,191 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,410,335 shares of the company’s stock worth $179,141,000 after buying an additional 70,387 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in shares of Encompass Health by 1,070.9% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 88,054 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,346,000 after buying an additional 80,534 shares in the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on EHC. Barclays dropped their price target on Encompass Health from $153.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 target price on Encompass Health in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on Encompass Health in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $143.86.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.56, for a total transaction of $71,309.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 24,755 shares in the company, valued at $2,588,382.80. The trade was a 2.68% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Treasurer Edmund Fay sold 11,937 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.00, for a total value of $1,277,259.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the treasurer directly owned 89,325 shares in the company, valued at $9,557,775. This trade represents a 11.79% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Encompass Health Price Performance

EHC stock opened at $100.02 on Friday. Encompass Health Corporation has a 12 month low of $92.77 and a 12 month high of $127.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $103.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $105.01. The stock has a market cap of $9.92 billion, a PE ratio of 16.70, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.72.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 18.28%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.37 EPS. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.890-6.110 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Encompass Health Corporation will post 5.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, July 1st. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.69%.

Encompass Health Profile

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.