The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Purchased by QRG Capital Management Inc.

QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 3.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,733 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 186 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $762,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Synovus Financial Corp lifted its stake in The Ensign Group by 90.2% in the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,102,000 after buying an additional 6,931 shares during the last quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 210.9% in the 3rd quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,388,000 after acquiring an additional 6,545 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 67.9% in the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,038,000 after purchasing an additional 5,632 shares during the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,110,692 shares of the company’s stock valued at $159,740,000 after purchasing an additional 10,221 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,595,000 after purchasing an additional 78,570 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Truist Financial cut their price target on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group assumed 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. Macquarie increased their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price objective on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

ENSG opened at $129.52 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $134.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $142.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.56. The company has a market capitalization of $7.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share 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%. Research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were paid a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. This is a boost from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

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 business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,254,710 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

About The Ensign Group

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.