First Eagle Investment Management LLC Purchases 2,300 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

First Eagle Investment Management LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 75.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,338 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,300 shares during the quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $709,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ENSG. FMR LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 42.3% in the 3rd 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 period. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,167,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company's stock valued at $93,449,000 after buying an additional 229,586 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP bought a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $18,843,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the completion of 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the chairman now directly 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on ENSG. UBS Group began coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Truist Financial reduced their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Macquarie lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG traded down $1.20 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $129.59. The company's stock had a trading volume of 342,502 shares, compared to its average volume of 387,271. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.45 billion, a PE ratio of 25.36, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. 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 stock has a fifty day moving average of $132.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $141.11. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $113.27 and a 52 week high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group 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.