Harfst & Associates Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Harfst & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 11.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,821 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,748 shares during the period. Harfst & Associates Inc.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $2,235,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its position in The Ensign Group by 7.3% during the fourth quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock worth $664,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DeDora Capital Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 7,188 shares of the company’s stock worth $955,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Trading Down 2.2 %

Shares of ENSG opened at $132.87 on Thursday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $113.27 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The company has a 50-day moving average of $134.23 and a 200 day moving average of $142.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.00, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94. 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 Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. On average, research analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Christopher R. Christensen sold 39,086 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 5th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,254,710. Company insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ENSG has been the subject of several analyst reports. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price for the company. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Macquarie raised their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

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.