Choreo LLC Sells 2,043 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Choreo LLC lowered its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 39.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 3,086 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,043 shares during the quarter. Choreo LLC's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $410,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company's stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company's stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in The Ensign Group by 62.9% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 699 shares of the company's stock valued at $101,000 after buying an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business'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 transaction, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $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. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 40,486 shares of company stock worth $5,995,390. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ ENSG traded down $1.56 on Friday, hitting $128.01. 416,168 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 432,409. The company has a market capitalization of $7.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The business's 50 day moving average price is $136.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $143.38. 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 earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share 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%. Equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is 4.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on ENSG shares. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Macquarie lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group has a consensus 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.