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Chemed Corp.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose, quarterly EPS fell: Revenue rose 3.1% to $624.9 million. GAAP diluted EPS was $4.46 and adjusted diluted EPS $5.27, down 10.8% and 6.6%. Net income was $64.2 million against $75.8 million. Source
  • VITAS revenue rose 4.2%: VITAS net revenue rose 4.2% to $407.7 million. Days-of-care rose 2.5% and a geographically weighted average Medicare reimbursement rate rose about 4.1%. Source
  • Medicare Cap accrual rose to $6.1 million: VITAS accrued $6.1 million of Medicare Cap billing limitation in the quarter, against $2.2 million in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Roto-Rooter revenue rose 1.1%: Roto-Rooter revenue rose 1.1% to $217.2 million. Adjusted EBITDA fell 12.4% to $49.4 million, a 22.7% margin, 351 basis points lower than the prior-year quarter. Source
  • VITAS gross margin declined: VITAS gross margin excluding Medicare Cap was 22.5%, down 261 basis points. VITAS SG&A was $25.2 million against $25.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • Roto-Rooter gross margin declined: Roto-Rooter gross margin was 50.7% against 52.9%. Its SG&A rose 6.3% to $60.7 million. Source
  • Cash and no debt at quarter-end: Cash and cash equivalents were $129.8 million at September 30, 2025, with no current or long-term debt. Source
  • Shares repurchased in the quarter: The company repurchased 407,500 shares for $180.8 million, at $443.62 a share. Source

“Management reiterates its previously issued guidance of $22.00 to $22.30 per share, excluding non-cash expense for stock options, tax benefits from stock option exercises, costs related to litigation and other discrete items.”

Chemed Corp., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Full-year diluted EPS, excluding certain items SourceFull year 2025$22.00 to $22.30Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: The full-year 2025 diluted EPS range was restated with no change from the prior release's $22.00 to $22.30. Source

Consolidated results and earnings

  • Revenue rose, quarterly EPS fell: Revenue rose 3.1% to $624.9 million. GAAP diluted EPS was $4.46 and adjusted diluted EPS $5.27, down 10.8% and 6.6%. Net income was $64.2 million against $75.8 million. Source
  • Legal and other items excluded: Pre-tax items excluded from adjusted results included legal settlements of $2.9 million, other items of $2.7 million and franchise-rights amortization of $2.4 million. Source
  • Nine-month revenue reached $1.89 billion: Nine-month service revenues and sales were $1.89 billion against $1.79 billion in the prior-year period. Source

VITAS segment results

  • VITAS revenue rose 4.2%: VITAS net revenue rose 4.2% to $407.7 million. Days-of-care rose 2.5% and a geographically weighted average Medicare reimbursement rate rose about 4.1%. Source
  • Admissions and census both grew: Admissions and average daily census both rose, with admissions growing faster than census in the quarter. Source
  • Revenue per patient day rose: Average revenue per patient per day was $205.08, 298 basis points above the prior-year period. Routine home care averaged $183.44 and high acuity care $1,132.50. Source

“This guidance assumes that there will be no Medicare Cap related to our Florida combined program for the government fiscal year 2026 beginning on October 1, 2025.”

Chemed Corp., press release

Medicare Cap billing limitation

  • Medicare Cap accrual rose to $6.1 million: VITAS accrued $6.1 million of Medicare Cap billing limitation in the quarter, against $2.2 million in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Florida accounted for most accrual: Of the $6.1 million, $4.6 million relates to the Florida combined program. The remaining $1.5 million relates mainly to other VITAS programs in California. Source
  • Contra revenue changes reduced growth: Medicare Cap and other contra revenue changes together reduced VITAS revenue growth by 124 basis points in the quarter. Source

Roto-Rooter segment results

  • Roto-Rooter revenue rose 1.1%: Roto-Rooter revenue rose 1.1% to $217.2 million. Adjusted EBITDA fell 12.4% to $49.4 million, a 22.7% margin, 351 basis points lower than the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Commercial branch revenue up 2.8%: Commercial branch revenue of $55.0 million rose 2.8%, with excavation up 10.2%, water restoration up 3.5% and drain cleaning up 1.2%; plumbing declined 0.8%. Source
  • Residential branch revenue up 3.4%: Residential branch revenue of $150.9 million rose 3.4%: plumbing up 8.2%, water restoration up 6.8% and excavation up 4.5%, with drain cleaning down 2.6%. Source
  • Independent contractor revenue declined: Revenue from independent contractors was $16.9 million, down 4.7% from the same quarter of 2024. Source

Costs, gross margin and SG&A

  • VITAS gross margin declined: VITAS gross margin excluding Medicare Cap was 22.5%, down 261 basis points. VITAS SG&A was $25.2 million against $25.9 million a year earlier. Source
  • VITAS adjusted EBITDA margin declined: VITAS adjusted EBITDA excluding Medicare Cap was $70.4 million, down 3.8%. Its margin was 17.0%, 157 basis points lower. Source
  • Roto-Rooter gross margin declined: Roto-Rooter gross margin was 50.7% against 52.9%. Its SG&A rose 6.3% to $60.7 million. Source
  • Deferred compensation adjustments rose: Consolidated SG&A was $105.8 million against $102.0 million. Market value adjustments on deferred compensation trusts were $6.7 million against $5.6 million. Source

Cash and balance sheet

  • Cash and no debt at quarter-end: Cash and cash equivalents were $129.8 million at September 30, 2025, with no current or long-term debt. Source
  • About $404.5 million undrawn credit: About $404.5 million was undrawn under the Credit Agreement after excluding $45.5 million for letters of credit. Source
  • Operating cash flow and capex rose: Nine-month operating cash flow was $254.7 million against $252.6 million; capital expenditures were $46.4 million against $36.8 million. Source

Share repurchases and dividends

  • Shares repurchased in the quarter: The company repurchased 407,500 shares for $180.8 million, at $443.62 a share. Source
  • Repurchase authorization remaining: About $301.8 million of share repurchase authorization remained at September 30, 2025. Source
  • Nine-month buybacks and dividends: Nine-month treasury stock purchases were $256.9 million, against $152.0 million, and dividends paid were $23.2 million, against $19.6 million. Source

Adjusted earnings and share count

  • Adjusted EPS excludes non-cash items: Adjusted diluted EPS excludes stock option expense, which was $6.1 million in the quarter, plus franchise-rights amortization, legal settlements and other items. Source
  • Diluted share count fell: Average diluted shares were 14.4 million in the quarter, against 15.2 million a year earlier. Source
  • Nine-month earnings declined: Nine-month diluted EPS was $12.89 against $13.88, and nine-month net income was $188.5 million against $211.7 million. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Average daily census (ADC) Source22,327, up 2.5%
Admissions Source17,714, up 5.6%
Total days of care Source2,054,074 vs 2,004,185 prior-year quarter
Average length of stay (days) Source109.7 vs 102.0 prior-year quarter
High acuity share of days of care Source2.3%, down 26 basis points

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Five Medicare provider numbers carry a Medicare Cap billing limitation totaling $27.2 million, and four more have a cushion of 0% to 10%. Source
  • Demand: Management cited acuity mix shift as reducing VITAS revenue growth by 121 basis points, measured against prior-year revenue and level-of-care mix. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.