Handelsbanken Fonder AB Has $2.25 Million Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 32.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,967 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,200 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,254,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on ENSG shares. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Truist Financial cut their price target 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. UBS Group initiated 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 objective for the company. Finally, Macquarie boosted their target price on shares of 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 analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $165.17.

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Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $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 quarter, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,254,710. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 2.6 %

The Ensign Group stock traded down $3.51 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $129.15. The company had a trading volume of 750,466 shares, compared to its average volume of 454,409. The firm's fifty day moving average is $134.18 and its 200-day moving average is $142.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $113.27 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced 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 return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. 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 company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

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.