Eversept Partners LP Acquires Shares of 28,577 National HealthCare Corporation $NHC

Eversept Partners LP acquired a new stake in National HealthCare Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:NHC) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 28,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,918,000. Eversept Partners LP owned approximately 0.18% of National HealthCare at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Guggenheim Capital LLC acquired a new stake in National HealthCare in the 4th quarter valued at about $597,000. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in National HealthCare in the 4th quarter valued at about $243,000. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in National HealthCare by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 28,249 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,873,000 after acquiring an additional 1,421 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in National HealthCare by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 36,225 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,966,000 after acquiring an additional 2,441 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in National HealthCare by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,403 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,290,000 after acquiring an additional 580 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 56.44% of the company’s stock.

National HealthCare Stock Performance

Shares of NHC opened at $191.10 on Thursday. National HealthCare Corporation has a twelve month low of $93.54 and a twelve month high of $205.06. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $182.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $161.16. The firm has a market cap of $2.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.28 and a beta of 0.64.

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

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 issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is a boost from National HealthCare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.64. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. National HealthCare’s dividend payout ratio is 59.12%.

Insider Activity

In other National HealthCare news, Director Lisa Piercey acquired 949 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $184.26 per share, for a total transaction of $174,862.74. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 949 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $174,862.74. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 13.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on NHC shares. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of National HealthCare to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of National HealthCare to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy”.

National HealthCare Profile

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.