Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC Decreases Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 3.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 11,799 shares of the company’s stock after selling 370 shares during the quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,568,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Acadian Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 12.2% during the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 4,044 shares of the company’s stock worth $499,000 after buying an additional 440 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 10.5% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 68,839 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,515,000 after buying an additional 6,550 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 2.8% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,322,526 shares of the company’s stock worth $163,577,000 after acquiring an additional 35,862 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,500,000. Finally, Wealth Alliance raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Wealth Alliance now owns 1,940 shares of the company’s stock valued at $240,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $136.33 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $110.71 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The stock has a market cap of $7.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.93. The business has a fifty day moving average of $139.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $142.83.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The firm had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.10 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be paid a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.18%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.05%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective 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. Truist Financial dropped their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Stephens upped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. 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 stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $161.83.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total transaction of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at $4,116,582.36. This trade represents a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.