Bahl & Gaynor Inc. Has $10.64 Million Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 3.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 80,066 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,018 shares during the quarter. Bahl & Gaynor Inc. owned approximately 0.14% of The Ensign Group worth $10,638,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth $228,000. Forum Financial Management LP bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth $207,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 6.8% during the 3rd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,547 shares of the company's stock worth $798,000 after buying an additional 355 shares during the period. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth $992,000. Finally, Amalgamated Bank boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 51.7% during the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 26,093 shares of the company's stock worth $3,753,000 after buying an additional 8,891 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.17.

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The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG stock traded up $1.37 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $130.33. The company's stock had a trading volume of 314,590 shares, compared to its average volume of 447,761. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The company has a market cap of $7.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.50, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The firm's 50-day moving average is $133.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $142.32.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. On average, research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. This is a boost from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. This trade represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.