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

Fisher Asset Management LLC lowered its position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 21.7% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 7,711 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,141 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Chemed were worth $4,509,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Heritage Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Chemed during the fourth quarter worth about $351,000. First Trust Direct Indexing L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Chemed by 5.3% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Chemed during the fourth quarter worth about $973,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Chemed by 19.7% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in Chemed by 22.8% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 4,363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,551,000 after purchasing an additional 811 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Stock Performance

Shares of CHE opened at $580.70 on Wednesday. Chemed Co. has a fifty-two week low of $492.84 and a fifty-two week high of $654.62. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $619.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $594.55. The firm has a market cap of $8.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.25, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.46.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 24th. The company reported $4.68 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 analysts’ expectations of $587.18 million. Chemed had a return on equity of 30.52% and a net margin of 12.36%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Chemed Co. will post 21.72 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 26th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 23rd. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is 8.61%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CHE has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of Chemed from $604.00 to $712.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 4th. StockNews.com upgraded Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on Chemed from $625.00 to $650.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th.

Insider Activity at Chemed

In other Chemed news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Chemed news, VP Brian C. Judkins sold 11,158 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $645.00, for a total value of $7,196,910.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 2,000 shares of the business’s 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 transaction, 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 sold 15,808 shares of company stock worth $10,184,531 in the last three months. 3.32% of the stock is owned by 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.