Covestor Ltd Sells 256 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Covestor Ltd lessened its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 16.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,317 shares of the company’s stock after selling 256 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $189,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in The Ensign Group during the first quarter worth about $34,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake 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 buying an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas bought a new position in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $54,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $148.15 on Monday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $149.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $136.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.87, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.95. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $101.28 and a fifty-two week 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The Ensign Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.10 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th were issued a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.81%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total transaction of $283,420.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 29,125 shares in the company, valued at $4,127,303.75. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total transaction of $283,420.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 29,125 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,127,303.75. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Barry Port sold 5,618 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $842,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,057,400. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,943,620 over the last quarter. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on ENSG. Oppenheimer increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stephens lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $162.20.

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.