Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) Short Interest Update

Encompass Health Co. (NYSE:EHC) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 2,110,000 shares, an increase of 19.2% from the February 13th total of 1,770,000 shares. Approximately 2.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 675,300 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.1 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on EHC. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $116.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of Encompass Health from $117.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $110.00 target price on shares of Encompass Health in a research report on Tuesday, February 11th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 15th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Encompass Health has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $107.67.

Insider Activity at Encompass Health

In other news, CAO Andrew L. Price sold 5,042 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.29, for a total value of $495,578.18. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 69,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,798,129.56. This trade represents a 6.79 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Encompass Health

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in EHC. 111 Capital acquired a new position in shares of Encompass Health in the 4th quarter worth approximately $502,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 46.0% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 19,204 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,774,000 after acquiring an additional 6,053 shares in the last quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Encompass Health by 43.5% during the fourth quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 1,600 shares of the company’s stock worth $148,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the period. ABLE Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Encompass Health by 20.1% during the fourth quarter. ABLE Financial Group LLC now owns 12,528 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,157,000 after purchasing an additional 2,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PharVision Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Encompass Health during the 4th quarter worth about $572,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Encompass Health Price Performance

EHC stock traded down $0.11 during trading on Thursday, hitting $99.26. The stock had a trading volume of 204,429 shares, compared to its average volume of 630,215. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $97.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $97.06. Encompass Health has a 1-year low of $76.11 and a 1-year high of $104.55. The stock has a market cap of $10.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.05.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The company reported $1.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.12. Encompass Health had a net margin of 8.48% and a return on equity of 17.56%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Encompass Health will post 4.8 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 1st will be paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. Encompass Health’s payout ratio is currently 15.25%.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health Corporation provides post-acute healthcare services in the United States and Puerto Rico. It owns and operates inpatient rehabilitation hospitals that provide medical, nursing, therapy, and ancillary services. The company provides specialized rehabilitative treatment on an inpatient basis to patients who have experienced physical or cognitive disabilities or injuries due to medical conditions, such as strokes, hip fractures, and various debilitating neurological conditions.