Rhumbline Advisers Purchases 49,191 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 32.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 202,398 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 49,191 shares during the quarter. Rhumbline Advisers’ holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $26,891,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the fourth 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 period. Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. CWM LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth about $80,000. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on ENSG. Truist Financial lowered their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock 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 stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, UBS Group began coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.17.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 30,752 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. The trade was a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,254,710. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

The Ensign Group stock opened at $127.12 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $135.25 and a 200-day moving average of $143.10. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $113.27 and a 1 year high of $158.45. 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 company has a market capitalization of $7.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released 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%. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

About The Ensign Group

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.