Candriam S.C.A. Invests $3.70 Million in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Candriam S.C.A. purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 27,865 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,702,000.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of ENSG. Synovus Financial Corp increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 90.2% during the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,102,000 after purchasing an additional 6,931 shares in the last quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 210.9% in the 3rd quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,648 shares of the company's stock worth $1,388,000 after acquiring an additional 6,545 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 67.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,038,000 after acquiring an additional 5,632 shares in the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,110,692 shares of the company's stock valued at $159,740,000 after purchasing an additional 10,221 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company's stock worth $54,595,000 after purchasing an additional 78,570 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

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The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ ENSG traded down $2.69 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $125.66. 375,540 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 387,523. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $113.27 and a 52 week high of $158.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The business's fifty day moving average price is $133.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $141.96.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued 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%. Equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This is a boost from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ENSG. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Macquarie raised their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $165.17.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company 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.