The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Position Increased by Equitable Trust Co.

Equitable Trust Co. increased its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,998 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $664,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 115.2% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC raised its stake in The Ensign Group by 16.2% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have weighed in on ENSG. Oppenheimer lifted their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Stephens reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set 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 The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. UBS Group initiated 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. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at $4,116,582.36. This represents a 2.22 % 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 three months. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $129.23 on Tuesday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $113.27 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The stock has a market cap of $7.43 billion, a PE ratio of 25.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. The business’s fifty day moving average is $137.45 and its 200-day moving average is $143.81. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. Equities analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a $0.0625 dividend. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 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.