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Chemed Corp.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 1 lowered, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • VITAS net revenue rose 11.9%: VITAS net revenue was $443.3 million, up 11.9%, driven mainly by a 6.1% rise in days-of-care and a Medicare rate increase of about 2.4%. Source
  • Census and admissions both rose: Average daily census reached 23,687, up 6.1%, and admissions rose 9.0% to 19,125 in the quarter. Source
  • Medicare Cap accrual much lower: VITAS accrued $500,000 of Medicare Cap billing limitation in the quarter, against $16.4 million in the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • VITAS adjusted EBITDA up 20.6%: VITAS adjusted EBITDA excluding Medicare Cap was $80.6 million, with an 18.2% margin, 196 basis points higher than a year earlier. Source
  • Roto-Rooter EBITDA flat, margin down: Adjusted EBITDA was $48.5 million, essentially flat; the margin was 21.1%, a decline from the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • Buyback of 210,000 shares: Chemed repurchased 210,000 shares for $89.8 million, at $427.81 a share, against 500,000 shares in the first quarter. Source
  • Full-year EPS guidance raised: Full-year 2026 adjusted diluted EPS range rose to $25.00 to $25.75 from $24.00 to $24.75. Source

“VITAS’ initiatives to return to a normal growth pattern after managing the 2025 Medicare Cap issue progressed more quickly than originally anticipated and continue to provide higher than expected growth in the business.”

Chemed Corp., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Adjusted diluted EPS SourceFull year 2026$25.00 to $25.75Raised from $24.00 to $24.75
EPS midpoint growth versus 2025 adjusted EPS SourceFull year 202617.8%Raised from 13%
Roto-Rooter revenue growth SourceFull year 20263.0% to 3.5%Kept
Roto-Rooter adjusted EBITDA margin SourceFull year 202621.5% to 22.5%Kept
Effective corporate tax rate on adjusted earnings SourceFull year 202624.5%Kept
Diluted share count SourceFull year 202613.5 million sharesLowered from 13.6 million shares

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year adjusted diluted EPS range raised from $24.00 to $24.75 to $25.00 to $25.75. Source
  • Guidance raised: Key VITAS guidance metrics were updated; the figures appear in a table that the release text does not reproduce. Source
  • Guidance kept: Roto-Rooter full-year guidance was left unchanged. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Diluted share count assumption reduced to 13.5 million from 13.6 million. Source

Consolidated results for the quarter

  • EPS rose on higher earnings: GAAP diluted EPS was $5.13, up 43.7%, and adjusted diluted EPS was $6.06, up 41.9%, against $3.57 and $4.27 a year earlier. Source
  • Revenue rose 8.8% to $673.3 million: Service revenues and sales were $673.3 million for the quarter, compared with $618.8 million in the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • Net income rose with operating income: Net income was $67.7 million, against $52.5 million; income from operations was $89.2 million, against $68.1 million. Source

VITAS volume and revenue

  • VITAS net revenue rose 11.9%: VITAS net revenue was $443.3 million, up 11.9%, driven mainly by a 6.1% rise in days-of-care and a Medicare rate increase of about 2.4%. Source
  • Census and admissions both rose: Average daily census reached 23,687, up 6.1%, and admissions rose 9.0% to 19,125 in the quarter. Source
  • Acuity mix trimmed revenue growth: Acuity mix shift reduced revenue growth by 115 basis points against the prior-year period’s revenue and level-of-care mix. Source
  • Length of stay declined: Average length of stay was 101.2 days against 137.1 days a year earlier; high-acuity days were 2.2% of total days, down 24 basis points. Source
  • Revenue per patient per day rose: Average revenue per patient per day was $209.98, 143 basis points above the prior-year quarter; routine home care averaged $188.62. Source

“Roto-Rooter performed in-line with our expectations and therefore, full year guidance for the segment remains unchanged.”

Chemed Corp., press release

VITAS Medicare Cap position

  • Medicare Cap accrual much lower: VITAS accrued $500,000 of Medicare Cap billing limitation in the quarter, against $16.4 million in the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • Medicare Cap and contra items added: Medicare Cap and other contra revenue changes added 455 basis points to VITAS revenue growth. Source
  • Provider-number Medicare Cap cushions: Of 33 Medicare provider numbers, 22 have a full-year cushion of 10% or more and seven sit between 0% and 10%; four carry a $7.0 million limitation. Source
  • No Florida Medicare Cap limitation expected: No limitation was recorded for the Florida combined program in the quarter, and none is expected for the 2026 fiscal period. Source

VITAS margin and EBITDA

  • VITAS gross margin up 164 basis points: VITAS gross margin excluding Medicare Cap was 23.9%; SG&A was $26.1 million against $25.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • VITAS adjusted EBITDA up 20.6%: VITAS adjusted EBITDA excluding Medicare Cap was $80.6 million, with an 18.2% margin, 196 basis points higher than a year earlier. Source
  • VITAS GAAP net income rose: VITAS net income was $60.9 million, against $38.2 million; excluding certain discrete items it was $61.3 million, up 60.5%. Source

“Although, historically, we do not give quarterly updates, our guidance was revised in conjunction with the first quarter 2026 earnings release due to the materially improved performance of VITAS, coupled with the level of share repurchases.”

Chemed Corp., press release

Roto-Rooter revenue by line

  • Roto-Rooter revenue up 3.3%: Roto-Rooter revenue was $229.9 million, up 3.3% from the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Commercial branch revenue up 6.8%: Commercial branch revenue was $56.8 million; plumbing rose 11.9%, drain cleaning 6.9%, water restoration 3.7% and excavation 2.3%. Source
  • Residential branch revenue up 1.7%: Residential branch revenue was $159.1 million; excavation rose 11.1% while water restoration fell 6.7%. Source
  • Independent contractor revenue declined: Revenue from independent contractors was $17.1 million, down 1.9% from the same period of 2025. Source

Roto-Rooter margin and costs

  • Roto-Rooter EBITDA flat, margin down: Adjusted EBITDA was $48.5 million, essentially flat; the margin was 21.1%, a decline from the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • Roto-Rooter gross margin rose: Gross margin was 50.4% against 49.0% in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Roto-Rooter SG&A up 11.3%: Roto-Rooter SG&A was $67.4 million in the quarter, an increase of 11.3% from the second quarter of 2025. Source
  • Corporate SG&A rose with stock options: Corporate SG&A was $21.7 million, against $14.7 million a year earlier; stock option expense was $9.1 million in the quarter. Source

Cash, debt and share repurchases

  • Cash rose; long-term debt rose: Cash was $40.2 million at June 30, up from $16.9 million at March 31; long-term debt was $140.0 million, up from $91.2 million. Source
  • Buyback of 210,000 shares: Chemed repurchased 210,000 shares for $89.8 million, at $427.81 a share, against 500,000 shares in the first quarter. Source
  • Trailing buybacks cut share count: Over the trailing 12 months, 1,517,500 shares were repurchased at an average of $423.63, a reduction of about 10.5% in outstanding shares. Source
  • Credit capacity and authorization remaining: About $262.7 million was undrawn under the credit agreement after letters of credit, and about $139.8 million of repurchase authorization remained. Source
  • Six-month operating cash flow: Net cash from operating activities was $173.0 million for the six months, against $171.4 million; business combinations used $33.5 million. Source

Full-year guidance and assumptions

  • Full-year EPS guidance raised: Full-year 2026 adjusted diluted EPS range rose to $25.00 to $25.75 from $24.00 to $24.75. Source
  • Roto-Rooter guidance held: Roto-Rooter revenue growth stayed at 3.0% to 3.5% and adjusted EBITDA margin at 21.5% to 22.5%, as the segment performed in line with expectations. Source
  • Share count and tax assumptions: Guidance assumes a 24.5% effective tax rate on adjusted earnings and 13.5 million diluted shares, down from 13.6 million. Source
  • VITAS guidance table not reproduced: Updated VITAS guidance metrics were issued in a table that does not appear in the release text. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 July 2026

  • Next regular guidance update: Guidance is expected to be updated once a year with the second-quarter release, barring unusual developments. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Average daily census (ADC) Source23,687, up 6.1%
Admissions Source19,125, up 9.0%
Days of care growth Sourceup 6.1%
Average length of stay (days) Source101.2 versus 137.1 in the prior-year quarter
High-acuity share of days of care Source2.2%, down 24 basis points
Average revenue per patient per day Source$209.98, up 143 basis points

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Four VITAS provider numbers carry a Medicare Cap billing limitation totaling $7.0 million, and seven more have cushions between 0% and 10%. Source
  • Demand: Acuity mix shift reduced VITAS revenue growth by 115 basis points in the quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said the return to normal growth progressed faster than originally anticipated. Source
  • Met: Management said Roto-Rooter performed in line with its expectations, so segment guidance is unchanged. 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.