Sciencast Management LP Acquires New Shares in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Sciencast Management LP bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 16,584 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,203,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the fourth quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 150.6% in the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth about $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of The Ensign Group stock traded down $1.22 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $128.79. The company's stock had a trading volume of 433,876 shares, compared to its average volume of 393,404. 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 company's 50 day simple moving average is $132.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $140.47. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The stock has a market cap of $7.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98.

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The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. As a group, analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on ENSG. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Truist Financial dropped their price objective 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. Finally, Macquarie increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.17.

Insider Activity

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,881,215.80. The trade was a 2.28 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Company 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.