California Public Employees Retirement System Has $36.85 Million Position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

California Public Employees Retirement System trimmed its position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 2.0% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 69,548 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,438 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System’s holdings in Chemed were worth $36,847,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CHE. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Chemed in the fourth quarter valued at about $95,872,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Chemed during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,023,000. FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of Chemed by 23.8% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 238,616 shares of the company’s stock worth $143,401,000 after purchasing an additional 45,917 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Chemed by 114.1% in the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 74,658 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,554,000 after buying an additional 39,791 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chemed in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $12,880,000. Institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In other news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $615.33, for a total value of $615,330.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 101,679 shares in the company, valued at approximately $62,566,139.07. This trade represents a 0.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Price Performance

Shares of CHE opened at $614.41 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $577.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $567.62. The company has a market cap of $8.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.05, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.43. Chemed Co. has a one year low of $512.12 and a one year high of $639.61.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.33%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com raised Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Chemed from $633.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th.

About Chemed

Chemed Corporation provides hospice and palliative care services to patients through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers primarily in the United States. The company operates in VITAS and Roto-Rooter segments. It offers plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, water restoration, and other related services to residential and commercial customers through company-owned branches, independent contractors, and franchisees.