Retirement Systems of Alabama Purchases 39 Shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Retirement Systems of Alabama raised its position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 0.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 42,664 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned approximately 0.28% of Chemed worth $24,948,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Chemed by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 534,123 shares of the company’s stock worth $277,584,000 after purchasing an additional 17,487 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Chemed by 0.3% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 386,237 shares of the company’s stock worth $200,727,000 after acquiring an additional 1,044 shares during the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc increased its holdings in shares of Chemed by 4.2% during the third quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 311,191 shares of the company’s stock valued at $161,726,000 after acquiring an additional 12,608 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Chemed by 9.2% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 287,386 shares of the company’s stock valued at $149,355,000 after purchasing an additional 24,161 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. boosted its stake in Chemed by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 228,040 shares of the company’s stock worth $118,513,000 after purchasing an additional 4,802 shares in the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Chemed Price Performance

CHE stock opened at $566.51 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $622.95 and its 200-day simple moving average is $592.30. The company has a market capitalization of $8.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.42. Chemed Co. has a 12 month low of $492.84 and a 12 month high of $654.62.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 30.52%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Chemed Co. will post 21.79 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. Investors of record on Monday, February 26th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.28%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is presently 8.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Chemed from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th. Finally, Oppenheimer increased their price objective on Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of Chemed 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 20,760 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,320,654. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Chemed news, CFO Michael D. Witzeman sold 2,650 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $643.14, for a total transaction of $1,704,321.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 2,882 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,853,529.48. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $641.65, for a total transaction 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 15,808 shares of company stock worth $10,184,531 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

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.