Van Berkom & Associates Inc. decreased its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 10.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 700,961 shares of the company's stock after selling 77,836 shares during the quarter. The Ensign Group accounts for about 2.8% of Van Berkom & Associates Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. owned approximately 1.22% of The Ensign Group worth $93,130,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. CWM LLC raised its position in The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company's stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 62.9% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 699 shares of the company's stock valued at $101,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth $228,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at about $1,531,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.
The Ensign Group Stock Performance
ENSG stock traded up $4.76 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $133.85. The company had a trading volume of 261,514 shares, compared to its average volume of 435,512. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The firm has a market cap of $7.69 billion, a PE ratio of 26.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $134.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $142.88.
The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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, analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
The Ensign Group Increases Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This is an increase from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.89%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Truist Financial lowered 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 research report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. Macquarie upped 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. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $165.17.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on The Ensign Group
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares of the company's stock, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 sale, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,254,710. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.
The Ensign Group Company Profile
(
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.
See Also
Before you consider The Ensign Group, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and The Ensign Group wasn't on the list.
While The Ensign Group currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Which stocks are likely to thrive in today's challenging market? Enter your email address and we'll send you MarketBeat's list of ten stocks that will drive in any economic environment.
Get This Free Report
