Benchmark Reiterates “Buy” Rating for Select Medical (NYSE:SEM)

Benchmark reaffirmed their buy rating on shares of Select Medical (NYSE:SEM) in a research report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $39.00 price target on the health services provider’s stock.

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Select Medical from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $34.40.

Select Medical Trading Up 10.5 %

Shares of Select Medical stock traded up $2.98 during trading on Friday, hitting $31.43. The stock had a trading volume of 1,993,546 shares, compared to its average volume of 504,667. Select Medical has a 12 month low of $21.28 and a 12 month high of $33.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.32, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $28.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.92. The stock has a market cap of $4.03 billion, a PE ratio of 14.97, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.38.

Select Medical (NYSE:SEM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 23rd. The health services provider reported $0.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.64 billion. Select Medical had a net margin of 3.97% and a return on equity of 18.45%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.22 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Select Medical will post 2.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Select Medical Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 16th will be given a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 15th. Select Medical’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.81%.

Insider Transactions at Select Medical

In related news, Chairman Robert A. Ortenzio sold 50,000 shares of Select Medical stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.90, for a total value of $1,495,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 6,689,668 shares in the company, valued at $200,021,073.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 19.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Select Medical

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC boosted its position in Select Medical by 16.9% during the 1st quarter. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC now owns 156,574 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $4,721,000 after acquiring an additional 22,674 shares in the last quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Select Medical during the 1st quarter worth $47,000. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Select Medical during the first quarter valued at about $690,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Select Medical by 26.1% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 55,543 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $1,675,000 after buying an additional 11,507 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Argent Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Select Medical by 13.9% during the 1st quarter. Argent Capital Management LLC now owns 15,557 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $469,000 after acquiring an additional 1,896 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.48% of the company’s stock.

Select Medical Company Profile

Select Medical Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates critical illness recovery hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and occupational health centers in the United States. It operates in four segments: Critical Illness Recovery Hospital, Rehabilitation Hospital, Outpatient Rehabilitation, and Concentra.