World Investment Advisors LLC Purchases New Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 151,187 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,744,000. World Investment Advisors LLC owned about 0.26% of The Ensign Group at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FMR LLC raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company's stock worth $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 5.1% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,363,822 shares of the company's stock worth $196,181,000 after buying an additional 66,314 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 2.8% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,322,526 shares of the company's stock valued at $163,577,000 after buying an additional 35,862 shares during the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.9% during the third quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,110,692 shares of the company's stock valued at $159,740,000 after acquiring an additional 10,221 shares during the period. Finally, Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth about $151,827,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG traded down $1.61 during trading on Thursday, reaching $141.28. The stock had a trading volume of 240,537 shares, compared to its average volume of 372,763. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $147.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $140.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.92. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $107.70 and a 1-year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The company's revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.10 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th were paid a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 5.81%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,325,980. The trade was a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have issued reports on ENSG shares. UBS Group started coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Stephens boosted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $164.33.

The Ensign Group Profile

The Ensign Group, Inc provides skilled nursing, senior living, and rehabilitative services. It operates through two segments: Skilled Services and Standard Bearer. The company's Skilled Services segment engages in the operation of skilled nursing facilities and rehabilitation therapy services for patients with chronic conditions, prolonged illness, and the elderly; and offers nursing facilities including specialty care, such as on-site dialysis, ventilator care, cardiac, and pulmonary management, as well as standard services comprising room and board, special nutritional programs, social services, recreational activities, entertainment, and other services.