Quantbot Technologies LP Buys 12,947 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Quantbot Technologies LP grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 140.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 22,148 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 12,947 shares during the quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,185,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. CWM LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company's stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY now owns 3,018 shares of the company's stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.9% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,908 shares of the company's stock valued at $982,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 21.2% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 429 shares of the company's stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harfst & Associates Inc. raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.7% during the second quarter. Harfst & Associates Inc. now owns 12,221 shares of the company's stock worth $1,512,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.2 %

ENSG traded down $0.36 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $145.98. 311,691 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 377,342. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $148.38 and its 200-day moving average price is $138.58. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $104.18 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th were given a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.81%.

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.