First Trust Advisors LP Sells 22,931 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

First Trust Advisors LP trimmed its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 26.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 63,013 shares of the company’s stock after selling 22,931 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $8,372,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the 4th quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the 4th quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth about $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, 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 transaction 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. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG opened at $127.07 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 stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $128.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $136.68. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.32 billion, a PE ratio of 24.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. Sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.