Yorktown Management & Research Co Inc Cuts Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Yorktown Management & Research Co Inc decreased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 59.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,100 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,050 shares during the period. Yorktown Management & Research Co Inc's holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $279,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. FMR LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company's stock worth $287,061,000 after buying an additional 593,779 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,363,822 shares of the company's stock worth $196,181,000 after acquiring an additional 66,314 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,110,692 shares of the company's stock valued at $159,740,000 after acquiring an additional 10,221 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at $151,827,000. Finally, Copeland Capital Management LLC boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 944,077 shares of the company's stock worth $125,430,000 after purchasing an additional 7,542 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 3.6 %

Shares of ENSG traded down $4.91 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $131.00. The stock had a trading volume of 774,208 shares, compared to its average volume of 432,409. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $137.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $143.76. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its 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 return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. Sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.89%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, 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 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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. Insiders have sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial lowered their target price on 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. Oppenheimer increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Macquarie boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target 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.