Franklin Resources Inc. Sells 172,997 Shares of Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Franklin Resources Inc. lowered its position in Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 16.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 901,047 shares of the company’s stock after selling 172,997 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $95,637,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Assetmark Inc. boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 88.1% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 299 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. WPG Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 73.3% in the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in Encompass Health in the fourth quarter worth approximately $37,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 36,200.0% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 362 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in Encompass Health by 24.4% in the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 540 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on EHC. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. TD Cowen started coverage on Encompass Health in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $125.00 target price on the stock. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 target price on Encompass Health in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on Encompass Health from $153.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $143.86.

Insider Transactions at Encompass Health

In other Encompass Health news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.56, for a total value of $71,309.92. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,588,382.80. This trade represents a 2.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

NYSE:EHC opened at $103.47 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $104.11 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $104.76. Encompass Health Corporation has a 1 year low of $92.77 and a 1 year high of $127.99. The company has a market capitalization of $10.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.72.

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

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be given a $0.19 dividend. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 12.69%.

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.