National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) Upgraded to “Strong-Buy” at The Goldman Sachs Group

The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of National HealthCare (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

NHC has been the topic of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Robert W. Baird raised shares of National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy”.

National HealthCare Stock Performance

Shares of NYSEAMERICAN:NHC opened at $196.30 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $3.07 billion, a PE ratio of 24.94 and a beta of 0.64. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $168.98 and its 200-day simple moving average is $151.30. National HealthCare has a one year low of $93.54 and a one year high of $199.62.

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

National HealthCare Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This is a boost from National HealthCare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.64. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. National HealthCare’s payout ratio is 59.12%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On National HealthCare

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of National HealthCare by 28.5% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 311 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Regal Partners Ltd bought a new position in shares of National HealthCare during the first quarter valued at approximately $304,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its stake in shares of National HealthCare by 1.2% during the first quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 6,048 shares of the company’s stock valued at $966,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP boosted its stake in shares of National HealthCare by 2.4% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 8,073 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,289,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Entropy Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of National HealthCare during the first quarter valued at approximately $333,000. 56.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About National HealthCare

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.