Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) Earns Strong-Buy Rating from Raymond James

Raymond James reissued their strong-buy rating on shares of Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) in a research note released on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $95.00 price objective on the stock, up from their previous price objective of $85.00.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Barclays upped their target price on Encompass Health from $101.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 25th. Stephens reissued an overweight rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. William Blair reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $83.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, February 9th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $88.13.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

NYSE:EHC opened at $83.62 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $78.45 and a 200 day simple moving average of $71.10. Encompass Health has a 1-year low of $57.55 and a 1-year high of $85.84. The stock has a market cap of $8.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.60, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.94.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $1.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.93 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $1.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.27 billion. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.01% and a net margin of 7.60%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.88 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Encompass Health will post 4.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Investors of record on Monday, April 1st were given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.22%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. grew its position in Encompass Health by 360.2% during the fourth quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 405 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 317 shares during the last quarter. McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Encompass Health Company Profile

Encompass Health Corporation provides post-acute healthcare services in the United States and Puerto Rico. It owns and operates inpatient rehabilitation hospitals that provide medical, nursing, therapy, and ancillary services. The company provides specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis to patients who have experienced physical or cognitive disabilities or injuries due to medical conditions, such as strokes, hip fractures, and various debilitating neurological conditions.