Wellington Management Group LLP Sells 68,203 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Wellington Management Group LLP reduced its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 10.5% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 581,561 shares of the company’s stock after selling 68,203 shares during the quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $77,266,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of ENSG. Cerity Partners LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 164.9% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 4,442 shares of the company’s stock worth $639,000 after purchasing an additional 2,765 shares in the last quarter. Walleye Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the third quarter valued at about $586,000. Paloma Partners Management Co acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $222,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 275.1% during the 3rd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 2,532 shares of the company’s stock worth $364,000 after acquiring an additional 1,857 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Centiva Capital LP bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $244,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $129.33 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $131.63 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $139.42. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The stock has a market cap of $7.43 billion, a PE ratio of 25.31, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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, analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Investors 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 of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 4.89%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total transaction of $90,405.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at $3,881,215.80. The trade was a 2.28 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were 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. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,251,714. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Truist Financial reduced their target price 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. 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. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One equities research 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 stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price 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.