National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) Shares Gap Up – Here’s What Happened

National HealthCare Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC)’s stock price gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $223.59, but opened at $229.43. National HealthCare shares last traded at $230.0070, with a volume of 3,095 shares.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

NHC has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada raised National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised shares of National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

National HealthCare Price Performance

The stock’s fifty day moving average is $215.00 and its 200-day moving average is $186.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.67 billion, a PE ratio of 26.33 and a beta of 0.61.

National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $408.03 million during the quarter. National HealthCare had a net margin of 9.00% and a return on equity of 10.03%.

National HealthCare Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be paid a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. National HealthCare’s payout ratio is currently 61.89%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other National HealthCare news, Director Lisa Piercey purchased 949 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $184.26 per share, for a total transaction of $174,862.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 949 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $174,862.74. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 13.92% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in National HealthCare by 53.6% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,724 shares of the company’s stock valued at $253,000 after acquiring an additional 950 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in National HealthCare by 1.7% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 16,080 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,492,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of National HealthCare by 3.1% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 9,247 shares of the company’s stock valued at $858,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in shares of National HealthCare by 7.1% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 73,772 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,846,000 after purchasing an additional 4,879 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of National HealthCare by 18.1% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 30,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,807,000 after purchasing an additional 4,628 shares in the last quarter. 56.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

National HealthCare Company Profile

National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE American: NHC) is a healthcare services company specializing in long-term care and post-acute rehabilitation. The company operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and outpatient therapy clinics. Through its subsidiary, National HealthCare Partners, NHC provides contract rehabilitation services, pharmacy management and clinical consulting to a broad network of senior living and healthcare providers.

Headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, National HealthCare Corporation has built a regional footprint across the southeastern and south-central United States.