Values First Advisors Inc. Sells 752 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Values First Advisors Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 26,053 shares of the company’s stock after selling 752 shares during the period. The Ensign Group comprises about 1.9% of Values First Advisors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 9th largest position. Values First Advisors Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $3,461,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 152 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $129.08 on Wednesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $113.27 and a fifty-two week high of $158.45. The business has a 50-day moving average of $137.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $143.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share 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%. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on ENSG. UBS Group began coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Truist Financial decreased their target price 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. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Macquarie boosted their target price 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, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chairman now directly 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 40,486 shares of company stock valued at $5,995,390. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.