Hound Partners LLC Has $11.22 Million Stock Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. $ENSG

Hound Partners LLC reduced its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 14.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 55,681 shares of the company’s stock after selling 9,592 shares during the period. The Ensign Group makes up about 1.4% of Hound Partners LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Hound Partners LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $11,220,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Private Trust Co. NA grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 156.5% in the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 159 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Monetary Solutions Ltd acquired a new position in The Ensign Group during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in The Ensign Group by 55.0% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 172 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Bayban bought a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth $32,000. 96.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $172.99 on Monday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $141.58 and a 52-week high of $218.00. The stock has a market cap of $10.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $165.30 and a 200-day moving average of $183.91.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $1.92 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.12. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.89% and a return on equity of 16.78%. The company had revenue of $1.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.44 billion. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 6.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.065 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 30th. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.23%.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.28, for a total transaction of $114,996.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 21,352 shares in the company, valued at $3,507,706.56. This trade represents a 3.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 4.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on ENSG shares. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $215.00 to $202.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of The Ensign Group from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 16th. Wall Street Zen downgraded The Ensign Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded The Ensign Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $213.50.

The Ensign Group Profile

The Ensign Group, Inc is a diversified provider of post-acute healthcare services in the United States, operating a network of skilled nursing, assisted living, independent living, home health and hospice care centers. The company’s model emphasizes integrated care by employing multidisciplinary teams—including nursing staff, therapists and physicians—to deliver personalized rehabilitation and long-term care services for seniors and other patients recovering from injury, illness or surgery.

Through its owned and managed centers, The Ensign Group offers a broad spectrum of rehabilitation services such as physical, occupational and speech therapy.