PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Sells 1,433 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. reduced its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 31.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,155 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,433 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $408,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Alberta Investment Management Corp grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp now owns 8,264 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,069,000 after buying an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 243.1% in the 1st quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 14,068 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,820,000 after buying an additional 9,968 shares during the last quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP grew its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 7.9% in the 1st quarter. De Lisle Partners LLP now owns 27,189 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,517,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,199,000. Finally, TCTC Holdings LLC lifted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 116.7% in the 1st quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.2%

The Ensign Group stock opened at $166.00 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $9.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.13, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.02. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $150.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $139.51. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $118.73 and a 12 month high of $166.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.54 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 16.92% and a net margin of 6.99%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 18.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.32 EPS. Equities analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 30th were issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 30th. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.54%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, VP Beverly B. Wittekind sold 4,719 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $731,445.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 38,679 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,995,245. This trade represents a 10.87% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Suzanne D. Snapper sold 8,379 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.21, for a total value of $1,241,851.59. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 269,692 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $39,971,051.32. The trade was a 3.01% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 13,798 shares of company stock valued at $2,080,733. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Macquarie lowered their target price on The Ensign Group from $159.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 2nd. Stephens raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Truist Financial raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (up previously from $185.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $171.00.

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.