Chemed (NYSE:CHE) Lowered to “Hold” Rating by StockNews.com

StockNews.com lowered shares of Chemed (NYSE:CHE) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday.

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada reduced 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.

Chemed Price Performance

Shares of CHE stock opened at $586.11 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $8.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $543.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $563.11. Chemed has a one year low of $512.12 and a one year high of $654.62.

Chemed Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 24th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 24th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.34%. Chemed’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.11%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Chemed

In related news, VP Brian C. Judkins bought 145 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 30th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $519.50 per share, with a total value of $75,327.50. Following the acquisition, the vice president now owns 1,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $871,721. This represents a 9.46 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Chemed

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Chemed by 78.0% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 3,730 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,246,000 after purchasing an additional 1,634 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd boosted its stake in Chemed by 111.5% in the 3rd quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 2,843 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,709,000 after purchasing an additional 1,499 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Chemed by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 335,443 shares of the company’s stock valued at $201,820,000 after buying an additional 15,791 shares in the last quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC increased its position in Chemed by 60.7% during the 4th quarter. Signal Advisors Wealth LLC now owns 4,995 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,647,000 after buying an additional 1,886 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Chemed by 8.1% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 122,788 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,792,000 after buying an additional 9,178 shares in the last quarter. 95.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.