National HealthCare Corporation $NHC Shares Purchased by Fifth Third Bancorp

Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of National HealthCare Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) by 4,581.0% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 2,715 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,657 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in National HealthCare were worth $434,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of National HealthCare by 38.6% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley Institutional Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,038,787 shares of the company’s stock valued at $142,407,000 after acquiring an additional 289,566 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in National HealthCare by 556.4% during the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 207,483 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,211,000 after purchasing an additional 175,873 shares during the period. Eversept Partners LP purchased a new stake in National HealthCare during the 4th quarter worth $3,918,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in National HealthCare by 43.5% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 85,781 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,760,000 after purchasing an additional 26,020 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in National HealthCare by 82.2% in the 2nd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 46,647 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,991,000 after purchasing an additional 21,041 shares in the last quarter. 56.44% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

National HealthCare Price Performance

Shares of NHC opened at $228.97 on Friday. National HealthCare Corporation has a 12-month low of $94.04 and a 12-month high of $232.67. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $205.63 and its 200 day moving average price is $178.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.58 billion, a PE ratio of 29.09 and a beta of 0.63.

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

National HealthCare Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be given a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. This is a boost from National HealthCare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.64. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. National HealthCare’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.89%.

Insider Activity at National HealthCare

In related news, Director Lisa Piercey purchased 949 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 1st. The shares were bought at an average price of $184.26 per share, with a total value of $174,862.74. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 949 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $174,862.74. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 13.92% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

NHC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Robert W. Baird upgraded National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research 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. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

National HealthCare Company 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.