The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Purchased by DeDora Capital Inc.

DeDora Capital Inc. increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,188 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. DeDora Capital Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $955,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Baillie Gifford & Co. acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $151,827,000. FMR LLC lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,061,000 after acquiring an additional 593,779 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,449,000 after acquiring an additional 229,586 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $18,843,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at $4,258,536.96. This represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 40,486 shares of company stock worth $5,995,390 in the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on ENSG. 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 on the stock. Oppenheimer increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Macquarie increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Stephens reaffirmed 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, Truist Financial reduced their price target on 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. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 1.2 %

ENSG opened at $128.01 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The company has a market cap of $7.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.05, a PEG ratio of 1.62 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 business’s 50-day simple moving average is $136.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $143.37.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released 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 net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid 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 of this dividend 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 (DPR) 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.