First Trust Advisors LP Buys 165,615 Shares of National HealthCare Corporation $NHC

First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of National HealthCare Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) by 45.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 530,302 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 165,615 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in National HealthCare were worth $84,689,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 38.6% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,038,787 shares of the company’s stock worth $142,407,000 after acquiring an additional 289,566 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of National HealthCare by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 318,440 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,662,000 after purchasing an additional 2,361 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in shares of National HealthCare by 43.5% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 85,781 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,760,000 after buying an additional 26,020 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of National HealthCare by 21.1% in the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 58,466 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,625,000 after purchasing an additional 10,170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of National HealthCare by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 55,210 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,709,000 after buying an additional 3,698 shares in the last quarter. 56.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on NHC shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Robert W. Baird raised National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy”.

National HealthCare Stock Up 1.9%

National HealthCare stock opened at $225.69 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $203.09 and its 200 day moving average price is $175.22. National HealthCare Corporation has a 52 week low of $93.99 and a 52 week high of $232.25. The firm has a market cap of $3.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.68 and a beta of 0.63.

National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $1.91 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $381.82 million for the quarter. National HealthCare had a return on equity of 9.98% and a net margin of 8.10%.

National HealthCare Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 30th. This is a positive change from National HealthCare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.64. National HealthCare’s payout ratio is 61.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling at National HealthCare

In other National HealthCare news, Director Lisa Piercey acquired 949 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $184.26 per share, for a total transaction of $174,862.74. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 949 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $174,862.74. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 13.92% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

National HealthCare Profile

National HealthCare Corporation (NYSE American: NHC) is a healthcare services company specializing in long-term care and post-acute rehabilitation. The company operates skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and outpatient therapy clinics. Through its subsidiary, National HealthCare Partners, NHC provides contract rehabilitation services, pharmacy management and clinical consulting to a broad network of senior living and healthcare providers.

Headquartered in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, National HealthCare Corporation has built a regional footprint across the southeastern and south-central United States.