LPL Financial LLC Sells 1,325 Shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

LPL Financial LLC reduced its stake in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 12.4% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 9,342 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,325 shares during the quarter. LPL Financial LLC’s holdings in Chemed were worth $4,949,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of CHE. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Chemed during the fourth quarter valued at about $42,023,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Chemed by 114.1% during the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 74,658 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,554,000 after buying an additional 39,791 shares in the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp increased its stake in Chemed by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 242,172 shares of the company’s stock worth $128,303,000 after acquiring an additional 22,105 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Chemed by 16.8% during the 4th quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 151,623 shares of the company’s stock worth $80,330,000 after acquiring an additional 21,834 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Chemed by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 335,443 shares of the company’s stock valued at $201,820,000 after acquiring an additional 15,791 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Price Performance

NYSE:CHE opened at $571.72 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.89, a PEG ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.49. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $580.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $567.86. Chemed Co. has a 1 year low of $512.12 and a 1 year high of $627.12.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th were given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 24th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.35%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $615.33, for a total value of $615,330.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 101,679 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $62,566,139.07. This represents a 0.97 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 3.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on CHE. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Chemed from $633.00 to $667.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, March 14th.

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.