On Monday, Enhabit Home Health & Hospice (NYSE:EHAB) received an upgrade in its stock rating from Jefferies, moving from Hold to Buy. Accompanying this upgrade is an increase in the price target to $9.50, up from the previous target of $8.25. This revision comes in response to Enhabit's recent announcement regarding a new contract with UnitedHealthcare for providing home health services.
The contract, which will take effect on January 1, 2025, covers UnitedHealthcare's Medicare Advantage lives. Although the rates set by UnitedHealthcare for the contract are below Enhabit's payor innovation contracts, which are priced at 0-25% below fee-for-service Medicare rates, the analyst views the new agreement favorably. This is due to the expected positive impact on Enhabit's EBITDA, which is estimated to potentially increase by approximately $5 million or more in 2025.
The new contract with UnitedHealthcare also mitigates previous concerns regarding the utilization of Enhabit's nursing capacity. With the legacy contract issue resolved, management can now concentrate on pursuing growth opportunities rather than addressing the potential financial gap that could have emerged had UnitedHealthcare exited the contract.
The analyst's statement highlights the significance of the new contract in stabilizing Enhabit's earnings potential and reducing execution risk. The agreement is seen as a strategic move that not only enhances the company's financial outlook but also provides a more stable platform for future expansion.
InvestingPro analysis reveals that while the company wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, analysts expect positive earnings in the coming year, with an EPS forecast of $0.24 for 2024. For deeper insights into EHAB's valuation and growth prospects, including additional ProTips and comprehensive financial analysis, check out the full Pro Research Report available on InvestingPro.
In other recent news, Enhabit Inc. reported mixed results for its third quarter, highlighting growth in its hospice segment and challenges in the home health segment. The company's hospice segment saw an increase in revenue and patient census, while the home health segment experienced a decline in revenue, primarily due to a drop in recertification.
Amid ongoing reimbursement cuts and the impacts of recent hurricanes, Enhabit announced strategic initiatives, including branch consolidations and expansions. The company's leverage ratio improved, and a strong cash flow supported a reduction in debt.
Enhabit's consolidated net revenue decreased slightly, while adjusted EBITDA saw an increase. The company is negotiating with UnitedHealthcare to mitigate lost census volume and has hired Ryan Solomon as the new CFO. Enhabit's revised full-year guidance for net service revenue is between $1.031 billion and $1.046 billion, with adjusted EBITDA expected to be between $98 million and $102 million.
Despite the decrease in home health revenue, non-Medicare admissions in this segment surged by 20.1%. The company's hospice segment revenue rose by 11%, with adjusted EBITDA growing by 29.9%. The impact of hurricanes on operations is expected to affect Q4 earnings, but the company's branches are back in service.
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