D.A. Davidson & CO. trimmed its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 6.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 41,971 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,777 shares during the quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. owned about 0.07% of The Ensign Group worth $5,576,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. CWM LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company's stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,538,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company's stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company's stock valued at $664,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company's stock valued at $230,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of research firms recently weighed in on ENSG. UBS Group began coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Truist Financial decreased 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 report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $165.17.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on ENSG
The Ensign Group Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG traded down $1.19 during trading on Friday, hitting $126.28. The company's stock had a trading volume of 142,848 shares, compared to its average volume of 438,304. 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, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The firm has a market cap of $7.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.71, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50-day moving average of $134.97 and a 200-day moving average of $142.99.
The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 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%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.
The Ensign Group Increases Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. 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 ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.89%.
Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group
In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. This trade represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm'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 transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,254,710 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
The Ensign Group Company Profile
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Free Report)
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.
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