Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. Acquires Shares of 25,925 Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 25,925 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,620,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. WPG Advisers LLC grew its holdings in Encompass Health by 73.3% in the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 324 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 36,200.0% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 89.6% during the first quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 455 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 215 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 24.4% in the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 540 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after buying an additional 106 shares during the last quarter. 97.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Encompass Health

In related news, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 173,148 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.47, for a total transaction of $21,724,879.56. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 267,814 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,602,622.58. This represents a 39.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP John Patrick Darby sold 8,906 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.95, for a total value of $1,121,710.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 75,041 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,451,413.95. This represents a 10.61% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Encompass Health Price Performance

EHC opened at $123.58 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $109.12 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $105.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.72. Encompass Health Corporation has a 52-week low of $92.77 and a 52-week high of $127.99.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.57 billion. Encompass Health had a net margin of 10.01% and a return on equity of 18.08%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.40 earnings per share. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.020-6.250 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Encompass Health Corporation will post 6.08 EPS for the current year.

Encompass Health Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, October 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.21 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 1st. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. This is a boost from Encompass Health’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.19. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 12.38%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings raised Encompass Health from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Leerink Partners set a $152.00 target price on Encompass Health in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Barclays increased their target price on Encompass Health from $140.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Encompass Health from $150.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Encompass Health from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $148.71.

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.