Geode Capital Management LLC Has $181.49 Million Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 0.1% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,365,705 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,883 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $181,488,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Avior Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 190.1% during the 4th quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 150.6% during the fourth quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 208 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 38.8% in the fourth quarter. CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC now owns 354 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Asset Planning Inc bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the fourth quarter valued at $80,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on ENSG shares. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Macquarie raised their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their target price on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.17.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In other news, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total value of $90,405.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at $3,881,215.80. This trade represents a 2.28 % 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 $6,251,714 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $129.33 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $131.63 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $139.25. The company has a market capitalization of $7.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.91. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $113.27 and a 52-week high of $158.45.

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

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

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.