William Blair Investment Management LLC Lowers Stake in Encompass Health Corporation $EHC

William Blair Investment Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE:EHC) by 41.9% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 803,283 shares of the company’s stock after selling 580,485 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.80% of Encompass Health worth $102,033,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of EHC. Citizens National Bank Trust Department purchased a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Encompass Health in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Encompass Health by 56.7% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 279 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in Encompass Health by 88.1% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 299 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Encompass Health in the 3rd quarter worth about $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.25% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Encompass Health news, CEO Mark J. Tarr sold 150,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.64, for a total transaction of $16,746,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 377,070 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $42,096,094.80. This trade represents a 28.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.00% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on EHC shares. Barclays lifted their price target on Encompass Health from $150.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Encompass Health from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, January 18th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Encompass Health from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Encompass Health has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $143.29.

Encompass Health Stock Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:EHC opened at $107.70 on Friday. Encompass Health Corporation has a 52-week low of $92.53 and a 52-week high of $127.99. The stock has a market cap of $10.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.44, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.73. The business has a fifty day moving average of $103.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $114.09. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76.

Encompass Health (NYSE:EHC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The company reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.17. Encompass Health had a net margin of 9.54% and a return on equity of 18.20%. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.54 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.17 earnings per share. Encompass Health’s quarterly revenue was up 9.9% on a year-over-year basis. Encompass Health has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.810-6.100 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Encompass Health Corporation will post 4.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Encompass Health Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 1st will be issued a $0.19 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 1st. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Encompass Health’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.72%.

About Encompass Health

Encompass Health Corporation is a leading provider of post‐acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a comprehensive network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home health and hospice agencies. Its inpatient rehabilitation hospitals offer intensive therapy programs for patients recovering from conditions such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, cardiac and pulmonary disorders, and orthopedic procedures. Through its home health segment, Encompass Health delivers skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy to patients in the comfort of their homes, while its hospice services provide end‐of‐life care focused on symptom management and emotional support for patients and families.

Founded in 1984 as HealthSouth Corporation and rebranded as Encompass Health in 2018, the company has grown organically and through acquisitions to serve patients across more than 30 states.