Chemed (NYSE:CHE) Shares Down 3.8% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE) dropped 3.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $427.85 and last traded at $436.2860. Approximately 45,218 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 67% from the average daily volume of 136,003 shares. The stock had previously closed at $453.53.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CHE has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chemed in a research note on Wednesday. Zacks Research raised Chemed from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on Chemed from $589.00 to $572.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered Chemed from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Chemed has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $555.50.

Chemed Trading Up 0.6%

The business’s fifty day moving average price is $436.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $443.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.66, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.44.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The company reported $5.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.39 by ($0.12). Chemed had a return on equity of 25.89% and a net margin of 11.02%.The business had revenue of $624.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $626.04 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.64 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. Chemed has set its FY 2025 guidance at 22.000-22.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Chemed Corporation will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is currently 12.69%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Chemed news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $437.55, for a total value of $875,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 94,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $41,215,897.35. This trade represents a 2.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 3.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chemed

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Chemed by 122.7% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 499,968 shares of the company’s stock worth $223,856,000 after purchasing an additional 275,423 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Chemed during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $89,388,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Chemed by 160.9% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 201,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $97,893,000 after purchasing an additional 123,982 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Chemed by 69.3% during the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 250,722 shares of the company’s stock worth $122,056,000 after buying an additional 102,597 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 740.9% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 95,573 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,792,000 after buying an additional 84,208 shares during the period. 95.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chemed Company Profile

Chemed Corporation is a diversified provider of essential home services and healthcare solutions in the United States. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company operates through two principal business segments—Roto-Rooter and Vitas Healthcare. Since its founding in 1974, Chemed has built a reputation for reliability and expertise, serving both residential and commercial customers across a broad range of markets.

The Roto-Rooter segment offers a comprehensive suite of plumbing, drain cleaning and water restoration services.