Synovus Financial Corp Lowers Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Synovus Financial Corp lessened its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 40.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 8,748 shares of the company's stock after selling 5,870 shares during the quarter. Synovus Financial Corp's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,162,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 67.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,038,000 after acquiring an additional 5,632 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 26.1% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,595,000 after purchasing an additional 78,570 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,099,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 130,047 shares of the company's stock worth $17,278,000 after buying an additional 11,830 shares during the period. Finally, Fox Run Management L.L.C. lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 339.6% during the 4th quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. now owns 10,305 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,369,000 after buying an additional 7,961 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.2 %

NASDAQ ENSG traded down $0.20 on Friday, reaching $127.98. The stock had a trading volume of 405,858 shares, compared to its average volume of 427,182. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average price of $128.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $137.69. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $113.27 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total value of $5,805,052.72. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Macquarie upped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Truist Financial cut their target price on 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. One 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 Ensign Group currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $165.17.

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.