Principal Financial Group Inc. Increases Stock Holdings in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 3.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 224,550 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 8,223 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Encompass Health were worth $21,721,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 21.5% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 88,470 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,960,000 after acquiring an additional 15,677 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Encompass Health by 38.4% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 92,197 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,338,000 after purchasing an additional 25,574 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in Encompass Health in the 1st quarter worth approximately $259,000. Walleye Capital LLC boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 667.6% in the 2nd quarter. Walleye Capital LLC now owns 6,522 shares of the company’s stock worth $800,000 after purchasing an additional 7,671 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new stake in Encompass Health during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $588,000. 97.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Encompass Health news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.56, for a total value of $71,309.92. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 24,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,588,382.80. This represents a 2.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.80% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:EHC opened at $111.87 on Wednesday. Encompass Health Corporation has a twelve month low of $92.77 and a twelve month high of $127.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76. The company has a market cap of $11.10 billion, a PE ratio of 18.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.74. The company’s 50 day moving average is $104.70 and its 200 day moving average is $103.67.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.04% and a return on equity of 18.28%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.37 EPS. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.890-6.110 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Encompass Health Corporation will post 5.97 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 1st were given a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is currently 12.69%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on EHC. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Encompass Health from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen raised Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Barclays reduced their target price on Encompass Health from $153.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, TD Cowen assumed coverage on Encompass Health in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. They set a “buy” rating and a $125.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Encompass Health has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $143.86.

About Encompass Health

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.