Short Interest in Select Medical Holdings Co. (NYSE:SEM) Grows By 28.9%

Select Medical Holdings Co. (NYSE:SEM) saw a large increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,260,000 shares, an increase of 28.9% from the December 31st total of 2,530,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,020,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.2 days. Currently, 3.1% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Select Medical Stock Performance

Shares of SEM traded up $0.22 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $19.82. 746,091 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 825,310. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.13. Select Medical has a 12 month low of $18.02 and a 12 month high of $40.98. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $20.61 and its 200-day moving average price is $30.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.45.

Select Medical (NYSE:SEM) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The health services provider reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.07. Select Medical had a return on equity of 15.99% and a net margin of 3.97%. The company had revenue of $1.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.74 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.46 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Select Medical will post 1.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently commented on SEM shares. StockNews.com raised shares of Select Medical from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Benchmark lowered Select Medical from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 25th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Select Medical from $40.00 to $21.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Select Medical from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $39.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Select Medical

In other news, Director Marilyn B. Tavenner sold 32,000 shares of Select Medical stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.09, for a total value of $674,880.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 22,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $463,980. This trade represents a 59.26 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Robert G. Breighner, Jr. sold 4,989 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.95, for a total value of $99,530.55. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 30,356 shares in the company, valued at approximately $605,602.20. This represents a 14.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 19.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Select Medical

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vista Finance LLC acquired a new stake in Select Medical during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $193,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in shares of Select Medical by 172.3% during the 4th quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 16,579 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $312,000 after acquiring an additional 10,491 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in shares of Select Medical during the 4th quarter worth $5,903,000. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Select Medical by 92.9% in the 4th quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 106,623 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $2,010,000 after acquiring an additional 51,361 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Select Medical by 542.7% during the fourth quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 115,185 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $2,171,000 after purchasing an additional 97,264 shares during the last quarter. 89.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Select Medical

Select Medical Holdings Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates critical illness recovery hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and occupational health centers in the United States. It operates in four segments: Critical Illness Recovery Hospital, Rehabilitation Hospital, Outpatient Rehabilitation, and Concentra.