WCM Investment Management LLC Has $34.73 Million Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

WCM Investment Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 261,574 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,559 shares during the quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC owned 0.46% of The Ensign Group worth $34,732,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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

The Ensign Group Trading Down 2.3 %

The Ensign Group stock traded down $2.96 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $126.12. The company's stock had a trading volume of 350,281 shares, compared to its average volume of 463,792. The stock has a market cap of $7.25 billion, a PE ratio of 24.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50 day moving average of $136.76 and a 200-day moving average of $143.59. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.20%. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is 4.89%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ENSG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Macquarie lifted their price target 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. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial dropped their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, 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. One research 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 Ensign Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $165.17.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. The trade was a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 40,486 shares of company stock worth $5,995,390 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

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.