Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Sells 284 Shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE)

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Chemed Co. (NYSE:CHE) by 28.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 712 shares of the company’s stock after selling 284 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Chemed were worth $377,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of Chemed by 300.0% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 52 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new stake in shares of Chemed during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. American National Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Chemed during the third quarter valued at about $61,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Chemed by 60.5% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP raised its holdings in Chemed by 721.7% in the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 189 shares of the company’s stock worth $103,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 95.85% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CHE has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective 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 research note on Saturday, November 30th.

Chemed Stock Performance

NYSE CHE opened at $550.99 on Monday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $544.24 and its 200 day moving average is $563.47. Chemed Co. has a fifty-two week low of $512.12 and a fifty-two week high of $654.62. The company has a market capitalization of $8.29 billion, a PE ratio of 27.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.47.

Chemed (NYSE:CHE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 29th. The company reported $5.64 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.76 by ($0.12). Chemed had a net margin of 12.69% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The business had revenue of $606.18 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $612.22 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $5.32 earnings per share. Chemed’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Chemed Co. will post 21.43 EPS for the current year.

Chemed Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th were issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. 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 10.11%.

Insider Activity

In other Chemed news, CEO Kevin J. Mcnamara sold 2,000 shares of the company’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 of the company’s stock, valued at $58,270,755.95. This represents a 1.93 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Brian C. Judkins bought 145 shares of Chemed stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $519.50 per share, for a total transaction of $75,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 1,678 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $871,721. This trade represents a 9.46 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 3.32% of the company’s stock.

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.