Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Reduces Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lowered its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 1.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 787,094 shares of the company's stock after selling 13,512 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned 1.37% of The Ensign Group worth $104,573,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at $151,827,000. FMR LLC boosted 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 valued at $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company's stock worth $93,449,000 after purchasing an additional 229,586 shares during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth approximately $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth approximately $18,843,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.3 %

Shares of The Ensign Group stock traded down $0.36 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $125.30. The company's stock had a trading volume of 138,161 shares, compared to its average volume of 387,734. The company has a market capitalization of $7.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $133.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $141.84. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56.

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The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Truist Financial dropped 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 report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Macquarie raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $165.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 three months, insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Company 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.