The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Prudential Financial Inc.

Prudential Financial Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 90.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,174 shares of the company's stock after selling 61,825 shares during the quarter. Prudential Financial Inc.'s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $820,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, 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 completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714 over the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on ENSG. Truist Financial lowered their target price 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. 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 company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG traded up $0.27 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $127.96. The stock had a trading volume of 351,364 shares, compared to its average volume of 424,848. 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 company has a 50 day simple moving average of $129.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $138.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. 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 results 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 net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. On average, research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.89%.

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.