Cwm LLC Trims Stock Holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Cwm LLC lowered its stake in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 15.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 309 shares of the company’s stock after selling 55 shares during the period. Cwm LLC’s holdings in Chemed were worth $181,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Chemed during the third quarter worth about $44,000. Covestor Ltd grew its stake in Chemed by 27.4% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 144 shares of the company’s stock worth $75,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC acquired a new position in Chemed in the 3rd quarter valued at $126,000. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated acquired a new stake in shares of Chemed during the third quarter worth $126,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its position in shares of Chemed by 25.5% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 364 shares of the company’s stock valued at $189,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CHE opened at $561.65 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $620.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $593.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.50 billion, a PE ratio of 30.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.46. Chemed Co. has a 12 month low of $492.84 and a 12 month high of $654.62.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $4.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.09 by ($0.41). The business had revenue of $589.23 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $587.18 million. Chemed had a return on equity of 30.52% and a net margin of 12.36%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Chemed Co. will post 21.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 of this dividend was Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.28%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on CHE shares. StockNews.com upgraded Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, March 4th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Chemed news, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was 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 $917,190. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 20,760 shares in the company, valued at $13,320,654. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of the company’s 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,422 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $917,190. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 15,808 shares of company stock valued at $10,184,531. Company insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Chemed 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.