F M Investments LLC Trims Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

F M Investments LLC lowered its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 62.2% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 43,596 shares of the company's stock after selling 71,802 shares during the quarter. F M Investments LLC owned 0.08% of The Ensign Group worth $5,792,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $80,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Truist Financial cut their target price 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 reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Macquarie increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG traded down $0.82 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $129.12. 119,709 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 424,240. 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 firm has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a PE ratio of 25.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $113.27 and a twelve month high of $158.45. The stock's 50-day moving average is $129.14 and its 200-day moving average is $138.05.

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 for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

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

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.