Chemed Corporation (CHE): ANSOFF MATRIX [Dec-2025 Updated]

You're looking at Chemed Corporation's dual-segment model-hospice and plumbing-and wondering how they'll drive growth beyond the $2.53 billion TTM revenue reported in Q3 2025, especially with that looming $18 million to $25 million Medicare Cap risk hanging over VITAS. Honestly, after two decades watching these plays, the path forward isn't about vague strategy; it's about concrete action across four quadrants. We've mapped out exactly where Chemed Corporation can push harder in existing markets, where they can take Roto-Rooter or VITAS into new states or services, and even where they might make a bold, non-core acquisition using that $404.5 million in undrawn credit. See below for the specific, actionable steps for Market Penetration, Development, Product Innovation, and Diversification that will define their next chapter.

Chemed Corporation (CHE) - Ansoff Matrix: Market Penetration

You're looking at how Chemed Corporation (CHE) can drive more volume through its existing VITAS Healthcare Corporation and Roto-Rooter businesses right now. Market penetration is about selling more of what you already make to the customers you already serve. For Chemed, this means pushing harder in their current hospice markets and driving more service calls in established Roto-Rooter territories.

For VITAS Healthcare Corporation, a key metric for penetration is the hospital admission ratio in Florida. Management reported achieving a 44.5% hospital admission ratio in Florida, which they called a 'high watermark during the post-pandemic period.' This focus on driving admissions from existing referral sources is central to this strategy. Total VITAS admissions in the third quarter of 2025 were 17,714, representing a 5.6% improvement from the third quarter of 2024.

The optimization of the acuity mix is a direct financial lever within this penetration strategy. The acuity mix shift negatively impacted VITAS revenue growth by 121-basis points in the third quarter of 2025 when compared to the prior-year period's revenue and level-of-care mix. This optimization work is critical to mitigating the projected $18 million to $25 million Medicare Cap revenue limitation for the 2025 Cap Year related to the Florida consolidated program.

Over at Roto-Rooter, the focus is on boosting the most profitable residential services through targeted marketing. The residential plumbing revenue specifically grew 8.2% in the third quarter of 2025. This targeted campaign contributed to the overall Roto-Rooter branch residential revenue reaching $150.9 million in the third quarter of 2025, which was a 3.4% increase over the prior-year period.

Here's a quick look at the residential revenue performance by service line for the third quarter of 2025:

The strategy to reduce reliance on expensive paid leads for residential services is showing mixed early results. In the third quarter of 2025, paid leads increased 8.6%, but the total number of leads actually declined 1.3%. This suggests that while the targeted campaign is driving higher-value leads, the overall volume is still being managed down, which is a key area to watch for margin stabilization.

The Roto-Rooter segment generated quarterly revenue of $217.2 million in the third quarter of 2025, an increase of 1.1% compared to the prior-year quarter. The adjusted EBITDA margin for Roto-Rooter in the third quarter of 2025 was 22.7%. The company is actively working on service bundling to increase the average transaction value in existing markets. The current performance of the services that would logically be bundled shows the following:

• Water restoration revenue increased 6.8% in Q3 2025 residential.
• Drain cleaning revenue declined 2.6% in Q3 2025 residential.

Finance: draft the projected revenue impact of a 100-basis point sequential improvement in Roto-Rooter's SG&A as a percentage of revenue by Q4 by Friday.

Chemed Corporation (CHE) - Ansoff Matrix: Market Development

Expand VITAS footprint by opening new hospice programs in underserved US states beyond the current 16 states.

VITAS Healthcare, a subsidiary of Chemed Corporation, employed nearly 12,000 professionals across 15 states and the District of Columbia as of September 2025. Management has identified at a minimum 12 states where Chemed Corporation does not currently operate that are considered very attractive for expansion.

Utilize Chemed's financial flexibility to acquire Roto-Rooter franchises in new metropolitan areas, targeting $75 million+ in M&A.

Chemed Corporation had total cash and cash equivalents of $173.9 million as of March 31, 2025. The company's debt-to-equity ratio is 0.12. For Roto-Rooter, management estimates there are $75-100 million in franchise street sales in desirable markets that could be acquired at 6-8 times proforma adjusted EBITDA. The Roto-Rooter segment generated quarterly revenue of $217.2 million in the third quarter of 2025.

Accelerate the organic expansion of VITAS in Florida, leveraging new sites like Pinellas and Marion County.

Recent successful Florida Certificate of Need (CON) VITAS applications and other expansion activities in the state are intended to mitigate Medicare Cap risk for 2026 and beyond. VITAS net revenue in the second quarter of 2025 was $396.2 million, a 5.8% increase year-over-year. The Average Daily Census (ADC) for VITAS in Q3 2025 was 22,327, an increase of 2.5%.

Introduce Roto-Rooter's commercial services to new regional markets where only residential services currently exist.

The Roto-Rooter segment is forecasted to achieve full-year 2025 revenue growth of 1.25% to 1.75% compared to 2024. In the second quarter of 2025, Roto-Rooter branch residential revenue totaled $156.4 million, an increase of 0.9% over the prior-year period. The company is focusing on improving operational efficiency within the segment.

Pursue strategic acquisitions of smaller, regional hospice providers to quickly enter new US states.

The acquisition of Covenant Health's hospice assets, completed in April 2024 for $85.0 million in cash, contributed approximately $11.5 million to $12.5 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2025. VITAS is actively sourcing deals with an emphasis on entering new states through consolidation. The company is targeting a full-year 2025 VITAS revenue increase, prior to Medicare Cap, of 7.5% to 8.5% when compared to 2024.

Here's a look at the recent operating performance supporting the capital allocation for Market Development:

The full-year 2025 adjusted diluted Earnings-per-Share guidance for Chemed Corporation is estimated to be in the range of $22.00 to $22.30. This guidance reflects the expected performance from both operating units.

Key operational metrics for VITAS in Q3 2025 included:

• Admissions of 17,714.
• Average revenue per patient per day of $207.03 in Q2 2025.
• Medicare Cap billing limitation accrued of $6.1 million in Q3 2025.
• High acuity days-of-care were 2.6% of total days of care in Q2 2025.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Chemed Corporation (CHE) - Ansoff Matrix: Product Development

You're looking at how Chemed Corporation (CHE) can build new offerings on its existing foundation, which is Product Development in the Ansoff sense. The company's overall revenue in the third quarter of 2025 hit $624.9 million, a 3.1% year-on-year increase, but the operating margin dipped to 12% from 15.2% the prior year, so new, higher-margin services are definitely important.

For the VITAS segment, net patient revenues were $407.7 million in Q3 2025, up 4.2%, driven by a 2.5% increase in days-of-care and a nearly 4.1% rise in the Medicare reimbursement rate. This suggests a strong base for expanding beyond core hospice services.

• Develop specialized palliative care programs for chronic diseases like COPD or heart failure within existing VITAS markets. This builds on the existing infrastructure that saw VITAS eyeing expansion in at least 12 states where they currently don't operate.

The Roto-Rooter segment brought in $217.2 million in Q3 2025 revenue, a 1.1% increase, but its Adjusted EBITDA margin fell to 22.7%, a 351-basis point decline from Q3 2024. Commercial revenue was $55.0 million, up 2.8%. This pressure on margins makes high-growth, specialized services critical.

• Expand Roto-Rooter's high-growth water restoration services into all existing branch locations. Residential water restoration grew 6.8% in Q3 2025, building on the 16.9% growth seen in that specific service line during Q2 2025.
• Introduce advanced leak detection and preventative maintenance contracts for Roto-Rooter's commercial clients. Commercial revenue overall grew 2.8% in Q3 2025, with excavation up 10.2%, showing commercial appetite for specialized services.
• Invest in new technology for Roto-Rooter, such as trenchless pipe repair, to offer a premium service option. This is a move to potentially improve margins, given that Roto-Rooter's SG&A expenses rose 6.3% in Q3 2025 compared to the prior year quarter.

Pilot a home-based primary care service line for VITAS patients not yet eligible for hospice benefits. This targets the population just before the hospice threshold, leveraging the fact that Chemed Corporation exited Q3 2025 with $129.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and no current or long-term debt. That balance sheet strength supports new service line pilots.

Here's a quick look at the Q3 2025 numbers to frame the environment you're working in:

The full-year 2025 Adjusted EPS guidance midpoint stands at $22.15, so any new product success needs to move the needle beyond the current trajectory. Also, note that Roto-Rooter's revenue from independent contractors declined 4.7% year-over-year in Q3 2025, suggesting a need to focus on company-owned branch expansion and service quality, which new technology supports.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.

Chemed Corporation (CHE) - Ansoff Matrix: Diversification

You're looking at how Chemed Corporation (CHE) can expand beyond its core hospice (VITAS) and plumbing (Roto-Rooter) businesses, using the Diversification quadrant of the Ansoff Matrix. This path involves new markets with new offerings, which is inherently riskier but offers the highest potential reward.

The financial firepower for this is clear. As of September 30, 2025, Chemed Corporation had approximately $404.5 million of undrawn borrowing capacity under its Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, which has a total facility size of $550 million. $129.8 million in cash and cash equivalents was on the balance sheet at that date. This capital base supports aggressive moves, like the $85.0 million cash acquisition of hospice assets and an assisted living facility completed in April 2024. For context, Chemed's trailing twelve-month revenue as of September 30, 2025, was $2.531 Billion, and management's 2025 Adjusted EPS guidance sits between $22.00 and $22.30 per share.

Here are the specific diversification vectors:

• Acquire a US-based home health agency to enter the non-hospice post-acute care market.
• Enter a complementary home services sector, like HVAC or electrical, through a new brand adjacent to Roto-Rooter.
• Explore international franchising for Roto-Rooter in stable, developed markets outside the US.
• Invest in a non-Medicare-dependent senior living or assisted living facility business.
• Use the $404.5 million in undrawn credit to acquire a small, non-healthcare, non-plumbing essential services business.

Entering Non-Hospice Post-Acute Care

Moving into the broader US home health agency space targets a market that is expanding rapidly. The overall US Home Healthcare Market size is calculated at $222.61 billion in 2025, projected to reach $644.37 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 12.74% from 2025 to 2034. The US Home Healthcare Services segment alone was valued at $107.07 billion in 2025. This move would leverage VITAS's existing clinical infrastructure but focus on non-hospice services like rehabilitation or skilled nursing, which typically have different reimbursement profiles than Medicare-capped hospice care.

Adjacent Home Services Expansion

For Roto-Rooter, diversification into related home services like HVAC or electrical presents a clear path to cross-sell. The US HVAC Services Market size is estimated at $21.16 billion in 2025, with a projected CAGR of 6.6% through 2030. The US Electrical Services Market maintenance and repair sub-sector alone generated over $20 billion in 2024. A new brand could immediately tap into Roto-Rooter's existing customer base, which saw its Q3 2025 revenue reach $217.2 million.

Here's a look at the market scale for these adjacent home services:

Non-Medicare-Dependent Senior Living Investment

Investing in a private-pay focused senior living business, like Assisted Living (AL) or Independent Living (IL), diversifies away from the Medicare reimbursement risk that VITAS faces. The total United States Senior Living Market was valued at $72.11 billion in 2025, projected to grow to $96.55 billion by 2030. The Independent Living (IL) / Active Adult segment is the largest, holding an estimated 70.02% share of the market revenue in 2024. This segment is driven by lifestyle preferences, which is a different demand driver than the acute/chronic care focus of VITAS.

International Roto-Rooter Franchising

Expanding Roto-Rooter internationally into stable, developed markets like Canada or Western Europe would be a market development play for the existing service offering, but it is a diversification of geographic risk. Roto-Rooter's Q3 2025 gross margin was 50.7%. The ability to scale a proven, high-margin service model into new regulatory and consumer environments represents a clear diversification of operational footprint.

Acquisition of Non-Core Essential Services

The use of the $404.5 million credit facility for a small, non-healthcare, non-plumbing essential services business offers a complete break from current operational exposure. This strategy is about pure financial diversification. For example, a small, stable business with a high recurring revenue component could provide counter-cyclical stability to the revenue stream, which was $624.9 million in Q3 2025.

The current liquidity position allows for significant, non-core M&A:

• Available Credit: $404.5 million as of September 30, 2025.
• Cash on Hand: $129.8 million as of September 30, 2025.
• Total Available Capital for Acquisition: Over $534.3 million.

Finance: draft 13-week cash view by Friday.