World Investment Advisors LLC Takes $21.74 Million Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 151,187 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,744,000. World Investment Advisors LLC owned about 0.26% of The Ensign Group as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the second quarter worth approximately $49,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 21.2% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 429 shares of the company's stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, USA Financial Formulas bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth approximately $54,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,325,980. This represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ENSG shares. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a "buy" rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Oppenheimer upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Stephens increased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $164.33.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG traded up $0.70 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $144.23. The company's stock had a trading volume of 268,422 shares, compared to its average volume of 323,011. The stock's 50-day moving average is $147.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $139.86. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $8.26 billion, a PE ratio of 34.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.92. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $104.18 and a one year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The Ensign Group's revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th were paid a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group's payout ratio is 5.81%.

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.