The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by First Horizon Advisors Inc.

First Horizon Advisors Inc. cut its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 8.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,121 shares of the company’s stock after selling 97 shares during the period. First Horizon Advisors Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $149,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of ENSG. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC increased its position 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 period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC increased its position 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 period. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Asset Planning Inc acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on ENSG. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of 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 lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group 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 sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the company’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 sale, 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. Insiders have sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,254,710 in the last three months. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 2.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ ENSG opened at $132.87 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $7.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. 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 1 year low of $113.27 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $134.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $142.78.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued 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%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a dividend of $0.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. 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%.

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.