Geode Capital Management LLC Grows Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 5.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,363,822 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 66,314 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned 2.38% of The Ensign Group worth $196,181,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ENSG. Vestcor Inc increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 38.3% in the third quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 8,438 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,214,000 after buying an additional 2,338 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 260.3% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 107,288 shares of the company's stock worth $15,430,000 after purchasing an additional 77,514 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at approximately $21,744,000. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,638,000. Finally, Castleark Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. Castleark Management LLC now owns 38,320 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,511,000 after buying an additional 2,090 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG traded down $0.06 on Monday, reaching $142.36. 192,183 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 371,719. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $110.29 and a 1-year high of $158.45. 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 $8.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50-day moving average of $147.45 and a 200-day moving average of $140.83.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.18%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.05%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on ENSG. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Stephens raised their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $164.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by 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.