Davidson Capital Management Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Davidson Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 5.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 22,962 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,138 shares during the quarter. Davidson Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,051,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 15,800 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,099,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Services boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 7,665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,018,000 after buying an additional 382 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock worth $664,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Caitlin John LLC increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 15,492 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,058,000 after buying an additional 576 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Retirement Systems of Alabama purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth about $9,193,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total transaction of $93,401.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,116,582.36. This trade represents a 2.22 % 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, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $129.08 on Wednesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $137.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $143.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.42 billion, a PE ratio of 25.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 4.89%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ENSG. Macquarie lifted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their price objective 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently 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.