The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Holdings Boosted by Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund

Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 11,600 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,541,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ENSG. Baillie Gifford & Co. purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $151,827,000. FMR LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,995,971 shares of the company’s stock worth $287,061,000 after purchasing an additional 593,779 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 649,764 shares of the company’s stock worth $93,449,000 after purchasing an additional 229,586 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $18,843,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total transaction of $96,936.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. The trade was a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 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 transaction, the chairman now owns 12,539 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,862,292.28. The trade was a 75.71 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 42,486 shares of company stock valued at $6,254,710 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 2.6 %

ENSG stock opened at $129.15 on Friday. 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, Inc. has a 1 year low of $113.27 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $134.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $142.70. The firm has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a PE ratio of 25.27, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.94.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data 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%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company 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 a positive change 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 payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on ENSG shares. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of 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. UBS Group began coverage on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Macquarie boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

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.