Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Shares Sold by HighTower Advisors LLC

HighTower Advisors LLC lowered its position in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 38.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,307 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,423 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Chemed were worth $1,222,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of Chemed by 300.0% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 52 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont bought a new position in Chemed during the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in Chemed by 77.3% in the fourth quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 78 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares during the period. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Chemed by 39.2% during the fourth quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 135 shares of the company’s stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in Chemed by 2,057.1% in the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 151 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Chemed Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CHE opened at $608.54 on Wednesday. Chemed Co. has a 12 month low of $512.12 and a 12 month high of $646.71. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $570.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $565.85. The stock has a market cap of $8.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.75, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.43.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 24th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.33%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.05%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CHE has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com raised Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Chemed from $633.00 to $667.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, March 14th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In related news, VP Brian C. Judkins acquired 145 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 30th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $519.50 per share, for a total transaction of $75,327.50. Following the purchase, the vice president now owns 1,678 shares in the company, valued at $871,721. This represents a 9.46 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $593.67, for a total value of $1,187,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 102,679 shares in the company, valued at $60,957,441.93. This trade represents a 1.91 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.