Vanguard Group Inc. Has $1.30 Billion Stock Holdings in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its stake in Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,240,809 shares of the company’s stock after selling 140,087 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 0.10% of Encompass Health worth $1,300,788,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Encompass Health in the 2nd quarter valued at about $139,536,000. 8 Knots Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health during the second quarter valued at approximately $78,644,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its position in shares of Encompass Health by 57.8% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,194,859 shares of the company’s stock worth $151,544,000 after purchasing an additional 437,464 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 2nd quarter worth $34,719,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 31.5% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 1,143,642 shares of the company’s stock valued at $140,245,000 after buying an additional 274,142 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, January 18th. Barclays raised their target price on Encompass Health from $150.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Encompass Health to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $143.29.

Encompass Health Stock Performance

Shares of EHC opened at $106.59 on Friday. Encompass Health Corporation has a 52-week low of $92.53 and a 52-week high of $127.99. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $103.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $114.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.73.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.46 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.17. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.20% and a net margin of 9.54%.The business had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.54 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.17 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.810-6.100 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Encompass Health Corporation will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be paid a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.72%.

Key Encompass Health News

Here are the key news stories impacting Encompass Health this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several near‑term and multi‑year earnings forecasts for EHC (multiple quarterly upgrades for Q1–Q4 2026 and Q1–Q4 2027 and FY2026→$6.03, FY2027→$6.32, FY2028→$7.13), signaling better-than-expected profitability trends. This upward revision cadence supports higher future earnings expectations and is bullish for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Encompass Health declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.19 per share (record Apr 1; payable Apr 15), a sign of steady cash flow and shareholder return policy; the yield is modest (~0.7%) but supports income-oriented investors. Encompass Health declares dividend on common stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks maintained a “Hold” rating despite the estimate upgrades, indicating the firm sees upside limited relative to risk — this tempering of conviction may blunt an otherwise stronger rally.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and post‑earnings analysis pieces are circulating (e.g., Q4 analysis and “buy/sell/hold” writeups) that could influence short-term flows as investors digest the Q4 beat and management guidance. Encompass Health (EHC): Buy, sell, or hold post Q4 earnings?

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 150,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.64, for a total transaction of $16,746,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 377,070 shares in the company, valued at $42,096,094.80. The trade was a 28.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 2.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Encompass Health 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.