The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG Stake Cut by Van Berkom & Associates Inc.

Van Berkom & Associates Inc. cut its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 747,897 shares of the company’s stock after selling 3,251 shares during the period. The Ensign Group accounts for approximately 3.7% of Van Berkom & Associates Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its largest holding. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. owned approximately 1.30% of The Ensign Group worth $129,214,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ENSG. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 638.7% in the second quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 229 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth about $35,000. MAI Capital Management increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 1,009.5% in the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 233 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1,128.6% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 237 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 872.4% in the 2nd quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 282 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 253 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, Director John O. Agwunobi sold 146 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.31, for a total value of $26,033.26. Following the transaction, the director owned 9,087 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,620,302.97. The trade was a 1.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.59, for a total transaction of $121,513.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 23,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,105,750.68. This trade represents a 2.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 49,934 shares of company stock worth $8,953,443. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $173.60 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 1.46 and a current ratio of 1.46. The firm has a market cap of $10.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.88. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $177.19 and its 200 day moving average is $173.10. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $118.73 and a 52 week high of $193.99.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.59 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.28 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 16.77%. The company’s revenue was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.39 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.065 per share. This represents a $0.26 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 31st. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.65%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ENSG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $220.00 price objective (up previously from $205.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Stephens increased their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $206.00 price objective (up from $177.00) on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Friday, November 14th. Finally, Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $196.40.

The Ensign Group Profile

The Ensign Group, Inc is a diversified provider of post-acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a network of skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, home health and hospice care centers. The company’s model emphasizes integrated care by employing multidisciplinary teams—including nursing staff, therapists and physicians—to deliver personalized rehabilitation and long-term care services for seniors and other patients recovering from injury, illness or surgery.

Through its owned and managed centers, The Ensign Group offers a broad spectrum of rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy.