Wells Fargo & Company MN Buys 4,082 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) by 6.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 67,180 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 4,082 shares during the period. Wells Fargo & Company MN owned approximately 0.12% of The Ensign Group worth $8,925,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Synovus Financial Corp grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 90.2% during the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,102,000 after purchasing an additional 6,931 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 67.9% during the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,038,000 after buying an additional 5,632 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.1% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company's stock valued at $54,595,000 after buying an additional 78,570 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth about $1,099,000. Finally, Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 10.0% in the 4th quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 130,047 shares of the company's stock valued at $17,278,000 after acquiring an additional 11,830 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company's stock.

The Ensign Group Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of ENSG traded up $2.90 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $124.96. 51,227 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 448,311. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $113.27 and a 12 month high of $158.45. The company's fifty day moving average price is $128.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $137.30. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The company has a market capitalization of $7.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group's dividend payout ratio is presently 4.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,413,299.50. This trade represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently issued reports on ENSG. Macquarie raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.