Bahl & Gaynor Inc. Boosts Holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. raised its holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 2.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,438 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Bahl & Gaynor Inc.’s holdings in Chemed were worth $9,027,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Semanteon Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Chemed in the fourth quarter worth $237,000. Meritage Portfolio Management lifted its holdings in Chemed by 6.7% in the 4th quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 19,321 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,298,000 after purchasing an additional 1,218 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chemed during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Chemed by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,017 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,103,000 after buying an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in shares of Chemed by 86.9% in the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $92,000 after buying an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on CHE shares. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on shares of Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th.

Chemed Stock Down 2.3 %

Shares of CHE traded down $13.03 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $560.31. The company had a trading volume of 102,418 shares, compared to its average volume of 80,056. Chemed Co. has a 1-year low of $492.84 and a 1-year high of $654.62. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $623.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $590.54. The stock has a market cap of $8.47 billion, a PE ratio of 30.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 0.42.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.09 by ($0.41). The company had revenue of $589.23 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $587.18 million. Chemed had a net margin of 12.36% and a return on equity of 31.69%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Chemed Co. will post 21.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.29%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is presently 8.61%.

Insider Transactions at Chemed

In related news, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total transaction of $7,196,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 1,422 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $917,190. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total transaction of $7,196,910.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $917,190. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $641.65, for a total value of $1,283,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 20,760 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,320,654. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 15,808 shares of company stock worth $10,184,531 in the last three months. 3.32% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Chemed Company Profile

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.