Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) Shares Sold by Impax Asset Management Group plc

Impax Asset Management Group plc lessened its stake in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 0.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 332,457 shares of the company’s stock after selling 300 shares during the quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc owned about 2.21% of Chemed worth $176,136,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. FMR LLC raised its position in Chemed by 23.8% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 238,616 shares of the company’s stock worth $143,401,000 after buying an additional 45,917 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Chemed by 114.1% during the fourth quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 74,658 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,554,000 after acquiring an additional 39,791 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its holdings in Chemed by 25.3% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 146,017 shares of the company’s stock worth $87,752,000 after purchasing an additional 29,445 shares in the last quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Chemed by 3,147.2% in the third quarter. Aureus Asset Management LLC now owns 29,939 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,993,000 after purchasing an additional 29,017 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Trust Walden Corp boosted its holdings in Chemed by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 242,172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $128,303,000 after purchasing an additional 22,105 shares in the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on CHE shares. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Chemed from $697.00 to $633.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. StockNews.com upgraded Chemed from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 30th.

Insider Activity at Chemed

In other news, VP Brian C. Judkins purchased 145 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 30th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $519.50 per share, for a total transaction of $75,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,678 shares in the company, valued at $871,721. This represents a 9.46 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Spencer S. Lee sold 732 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $575.62, for a total value of $421,353.84. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.32% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Chemed Trading Down 1.0 %

CHE stock opened at $544.75 on Monday. Chemed Co. has a 52 week low of $512.12 and a 52 week high of $654.62. The company has a market cap of $8.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.53, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.48. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $542.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $563.67.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Monday, February 24th will be issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.37%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 24th. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio is currently 10.11%.

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.