South Dakota Investment Council Makes New $104,000 Investment in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

South Dakota Investment Council bought a new stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 781 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $104,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Synovus Financial Corp grew its position in The Ensign Group by 90.2% in the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,102,000 after buying an additional 6,931 shares during the last quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 210.9% in the third quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,648 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,388,000 after acquiring an additional 6,545 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 67.9% during the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,038,000 after acquiring an additional 5,632 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 0.9% during the third quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,110,692 shares of the company’s stock worth $159,740,000 after purchasing an additional 10,221 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 26.1% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,595,000 after purchasing an additional 78,570 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 2.2 %

ENSG opened at $129.09 on Tuesday. 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 company has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.26, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The business’s fifty day moving average is $134.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $142.88.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released 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%. Analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. This is a positive change 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Truist Financial cut 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the 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 sale, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,254,710 in the last ninety 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.