Chemed (NYSE:CHE) Hits New 12-Month Low – Time to Sell?

Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $383.13 and last traded at $383.8550, with a volume of 186629 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $399.34.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on CHE. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded shares of Chemed from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Chemed in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Oppenheimer lowered their price target on Chemed from $580.00 to $500.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and set a $422.00 price objective (down from $572.00) on shares of Chemed in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Chemed has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $498.00.

Chemed Price Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average is $439.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $440.02. The firm has a market cap of $5.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.86, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.46.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $6.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.02 by ($0.60). The business had revenue of $639.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $659.09 million. Chemed had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 25.66%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.83 EPS. Chemed has set its FY 2026 guidance at 23.250-24.250 EPS. Research analysts predict that Chemed Corporation will post 21.43 EPS for the current year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 23rd. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.06%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $403.18, for a total value of $806,360.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 93,719 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,785,626.42. This represents a 2.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 3.29% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Chemed

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Monetary Solutions Ltd bought a new position in shares of Chemed during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chemed during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Chemed by 71.4% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 60 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Chemed in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in Chemed in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

About Chemed

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.