Here's Why Encompass Health Shares Are Attracting Investors Now

Core Viewpoint - Encompass Health Corporation (EHC) is well-positioned for growth by providing high-quality, cost-effective integrated care, achieving a 28.8% increase year-to-date, significantly outperforming the industry average of 2.7% [1] Company Overview - Encompass Health has a market capitalization of $12 billion and operates as an integrated healthcare services company based in Birmingham, AL, with a network of 166 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals across 38 states and Puerto Rico [2] - The company's forward P/E ratio stands at 22.78X, higher than the industry average of 19.62X, reflecting growing investor confidence [2] Financial Performance and Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EHC's 2025 earnings is $5.01 per share, indicating a 13.1% year-over-year increase, with eight upward estimate revisions in the past two months [4] - Revenue estimates for 2025 are pegged at $5.9 billion, suggesting a 9.5% year-over-year rise, with the company beating earnings estimates in the past four quarters with an average surprise of 12.3% [4] Growth Drivers - Revenue growth is driven by increased discharges and pricing, with total discharges rising 6.3% year-over-year in Q1 2025 and net patient revenue per discharge growing 3.9% year-over-year, surpassing estimates by 1.6% [5] - The company plans to continue investing in its clinical team and expand its hospital network, including seven new facilities with 340 beds and a 50-bed freestanding satellite hospital in 2025 [6] Financial Stability - EHC's financial stability is supported by a strong liquidity position, holding $95.8 million in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2025, a 12.2% increase from the end of 2024 [7] - Operating cash flows increased by 17.9% year-over-year in 2024 and 20.9% in Q1 2025 [7] - The trailing 12-month return on invested capital is 9.7%, exceeding the industry average of 5.8% [8] Revenue and EPS Guidance - The company has increased its net operating revenue forecast to a range of $5.85 billion to $5.925 billion [8] - Adjusted EPS guidance has been raised to between $4.85 and $5.10 [10]