Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nine research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $143.8571.

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on EHC. 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 upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 price target on shares of Encompass Health in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $153.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on Encompass Health in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $125.00 price objective for the company.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Patrick William Tuer sold 682 shares of Encompass Health stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.56, for a total value of $71,309.92. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 24,755 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,588,382.80. The trade was a 2.68% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 1.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Encompass Health

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. WPG Advisers LLC boosted its stake in Encompass Health by 73.3% during the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health during the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Encompass Health by 89.6% during the 1st quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 36,200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 362 shares during the period. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in Encompass Health in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EHC traded down $1.32 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $109.70. 1,069,745 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,137,027. The company has a market cap of $10.88 billion, a PE ratio of 18.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.74. Encompass Health has a twelve month low of $92.77 and a twelve month high of $127.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 1.17. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $103.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $103.50.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported $1.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.09. Encompass Health had a return on equity of 18.28% and a net margin of 10.04%.The business had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.57 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.37 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.890-6.110 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Encompass Health will post 5.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be paid a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is presently 12.69%.

Encompass Health Company 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.