Aigen Investment Management LP Buys New Shares in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Aigen Investment Management LP bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,019 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $434,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 1st quarter worth approximately $792,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 294.7% during the second quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 9,726 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,203,000 after buying an additional 7,262 shares in the last quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its holdings in The Ensign Group by 14.4% in the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 52,221 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,486,000 after buying an additional 6,583 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $3,500,000. Finally, AXA S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 54,627 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,757,000 after acquiring an additional 4,684 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $145.68 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.95. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $104.18 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $149.50 and a 200-day moving average of $136.70. 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 (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 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 company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, September 30th were given a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.16%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is presently 5.81%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer increased 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. Stephens raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, The Ensign Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $162.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.00, for a total value of $507,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $7,788,820. This trade represents a 6.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Over the last three months, insiders sold 11,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,660,200. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.