Riverbridge Partners LLC Decreases Stake in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Riverbridge Partners LLC decreased its holdings in Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 7.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 78,357 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,516 shares during the quarter. Riverbridge Partners LLC owned about 0.52% of Chemed worth $41,514,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont acquired a new stake in shares of Chemed during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Chemed in the 3rd quarter valued at $61,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Chemed by 60.5% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP increased its stake in Chemed by 721.7% in the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 189 shares of the company’s stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Chemed Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CHE opened at $553.24 on Thursday. Chemed Co. has a 12 month low of $512.12 and a 12 month high of $654.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.33 billion, a PE ratio of 27.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.47. The business has a 50-day moving average of $544.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $563.00.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.76 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $606.18 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $612.22 million. Chemed had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $5.32 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 18th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.36%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Chemed news, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 732 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $575.62, for a total transaction of $421,353.84. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 18,287 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,526,362.94. This trade represents a 3.85 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $572.77, for a total value of $1,145,540.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 101,735 shares in the company, valued at $58,270,755.95. This trade represents a 1.93 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have commented on CHE shares. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 30th.

About Chemed

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.