Vanguard Group Inc. Decreases Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Vanguard Group Inc. lowered its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 4.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,170,950 shares of the company's stock after selling 316,258 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 10.74% of The Ensign Group worth $819,872,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company's stock worth $157,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. grew its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company's stock valued at $664,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its position in The Ensign Group by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company's stock worth $230,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DeDora Capital Inc. raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 7,188 shares of the company's stock worth $955,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 1.2 %

The Ensign Group stock traded up $1.65 during trading on Thursday, hitting $133.90. The company's stock had a trading volume of 779,810 shares, compared to its average volume of 417,404. The stock's fifty day moving average is $131.82 and its 200 day moving average is $139.59. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 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%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total transaction of $90,405.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at $3,881,215.80. The trade was a 2.28 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on ENSG. Truist Financial dropped their price target on 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 reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Macquarie boosted their target price on shares of 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 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 company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $165.17.

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.