Inceptionr LLC Buys 6,401 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Inceptionr LLC lifted its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 81.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 14,258 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,401 shares during the quarter. The Ensign Group accounts for about 0.4% of Inceptionr LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Inceptionr LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,894,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 90.2% in the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,102,000 after acquiring an additional 6,931 shares during the last quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 210.9% in the 3rd quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,388,000 after acquiring an additional 6,545 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 67.9% in the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,038,000 after buying an additional 5,632 shares during the period. Crewe Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.9% in the third quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,110,692 shares of the company’s stock worth $159,740,000 after buying an additional 10,221 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.1% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,595,000 after buying an additional 78,570 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on ENSG. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie lifted their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group began coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Truist Financial decreased 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 note on Monday, January 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $131.50 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $133.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $142.49. The company has a market cap of $7.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.73, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $113.27 and a 12-month high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its 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%. Research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This trade represents a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total transaction of $90,405.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 30,052 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115 in the last three months. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.