The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Stock Holdings Increased by Bessemer Group Inc.

Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 4.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 204,004 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 7,884 shares during the quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. owned 0.36% of The Ensign Group worth $27,104,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 4.3% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,082,647 shares of the company's stock valued at $276,701,000 after acquiring an additional 86,676 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,363,822 shares of the company's stock valued at $196,181,000 after purchasing an additional 66,314 shares during the last quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 944,077 shares of the company's stock valued at $125,430,000 after purchasing an additional 7,542 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $90,747,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 8.2% in the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 557,717 shares of the company's stock worth $74,098,000 after buying an additional 42,184 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently weighed in on ENSG. Truist Financial cut their price target on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Macquarie raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 0.2 %

The Ensign Group stock traded up $0.26 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $129.35. 60,912 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 424,322. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $129.00 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $137.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.31, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45.

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

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is 4.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714 over the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About The Ensign Group

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.