Fisher Asset Management LLC Sells 2,141 Shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Fisher Asset Management LLC trimmed its holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 21.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,711 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,141 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC owned 0.05% of Chemed worth $4,509,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of CHE. Heritage Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Chemed in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $351,000. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. grew its position in Chemed by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. now owns 635 shares of the company’s stock worth $371,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Chemed during the 4th quarter worth about $973,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Chemed by 19.7% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 188,679 shares of the company’s stock worth $110,330,000 after purchasing an additional 31,036 shares during the period. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp raised its position in shares of Chemed by 22.8% during the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 4,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,551,000 after buying an additional 811 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, March 4th. StockNews.com upgraded Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price target 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.

Chemed Trading Up 1.7 %

NYSE CHE opened at $580.70 on Wednesday. Chemed Co. has a 1-year low of $492.84 and a 1-year high of $654.62. The company has a market capitalization of $8.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.25, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.46. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $619.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $594.55.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $4.68 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.09 by ($0.41). Chemed had a net margin of 12.36% and a return on equity of 30.52%. The company had revenue of $589.23 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $587.18 million. On average, analysts predict that Chemed Co. will post 21.72 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 issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.28%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 23rd. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.61%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

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 value of $1,283,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 20,760 shares in the company, valued at $13,320,654. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 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 shares were sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total value of $7,196,910.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,422 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $917,190. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the 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 directly owns 20,760 shares in the company, 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 over the last ninety days. Corporate 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.