The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Acquired by Quantbot Technologies LP

Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 48.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 32,865 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,717 shares during the quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP owned 0.06% of The Ensign Group worth $4,366,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 190.1% in the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake 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 grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 38.8% during the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc purchased a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth $80,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total transaction of $90,405.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This trade represents a 2.28 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115 over the last 90 days. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial lowered their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Macquarie increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $128.24 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $132.85 and a 200-day simple moving average of $140.87. The stock has a market cap of $7.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its 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%. On average, analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.89%.

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.