Congress Asset Management Co. Buys New Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Congress Asset Management Co. bought a new position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 1,578 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $210,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 19,649 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,611,000 after purchasing an additional 659 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in The Ensign Group by 32.1% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 202,398 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,891,000 after buying an additional 49,191 shares during the period. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board acquired a new position in shares of The Ensign Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,541,000. DeDora Capital Inc. boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 7,188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $955,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter worth $80,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $128.07 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.36 billion, a PE ratio of 25.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.94. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $113.27 and a 12-month high of $158.45. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $135.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.30.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. Research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.20%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.89%.

Insider Activity

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total transaction of $259,320.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.52, for a total transaction of $5,805,052.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 12,539 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. This represents a 75.71 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 42,486 shares of company stock worth $6,254,710. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on ENSG. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Truist Financial lowered their price target on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Macquarie lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

The Ensign Group 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.