Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC Sells 5,146 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC lessened its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 74.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,750 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,146 shares during the period. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $233,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. FMR LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the third 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 during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 5.1% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,363,822 shares of the company's stock valued at $196,181,000 after purchasing an additional 66,314 shares during the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.9% during the third 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. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter valued at $151,827,000. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 944,077 shares of the company's stock valued at $125,430,000 after purchasing an additional 7,542 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG traded down $1.56 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $128.01. 416,168 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 432,409. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.36 billion, a PE ratio of 25.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The business's 50 day moving average price is $136.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $143.36.

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

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ENSG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Truist Financial lowered 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 research note on Monday, January 6th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price 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. Macquarie boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390 over the last 90 days. 3.90% of the stock is currently 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.