Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) EVP John Patrick Darby Sells 8,906 Shares

Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) EVP John Patrick Darby sold 8,906 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.95, for a total transaction of $1,121,710.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 75,041 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,451,413.95. The trade was a 10.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Encompass Health Stock Down 0.8%

EHC stock opened at $124.84 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.72. Encompass Health Corporation has a 52-week low of $92.77 and a 52-week high of $127.99. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $107.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $104.99.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.07. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.01% and a return on equity of 18.08%. The firm had revenue of $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.40 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.250 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Encompass Health Corporation will post 6.08 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.21 per share. This is a positive change from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.38%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Encompass Health from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Encompass Health from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Encompass Health from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Leerink Partners set a $152.00 price objective on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $148.71.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of EHC. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 21.5% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 88,470 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,960,000 after purchasing an additional 15,677 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 38.4% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 92,197 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,338,000 after buying an additional 25,574 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in Encompass Health in the first quarter worth approximately $259,000. Walleye Capital LLC increased its holdings in Encompass Health by 667.6% in the second quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 6,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $800,000 after buying an additional 7,671 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL bought a new position in Encompass Health during the second quarter valued at approximately $588,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Company 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.