The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) is Bard Associates Inc.'s Largest Position

Bard Associates Inc. lowered its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 2.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 89,752 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,517 shares during the period. The Ensign Group comprises about 4.1% of Bard Associates Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its biggest position. Bard Associates Inc. owned about 0.16% of The Ensign Group worth $11,930,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ENSG. Baillie Gifford & Co. bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $151,827,000. FMR LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 42.3% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company's stock worth $287,061,000 after acquiring an additional 593,779 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 54.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company's stock valued at $93,449,000 after acquiring an additional 229,586 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $18,843,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 1.1 %

The Ensign Group stock traded up $1.37 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $130.33. The stock had a trading volume of 314,590 shares, compared to its average volume of 447,761. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $133.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $142.32. The company has a market capitalization of $7.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.50, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45.

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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%. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Macquarie increased their price objective 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, February 4th. UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a "buy" rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, 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 report on Monday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $165.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,052 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $1,862,292.28. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

About The Ensign Group

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.