McIlrath & Eck LLC Trims Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

McIlrath & Eck LLC reduced its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 18.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 712 shares of the company’s stock after selling 164 shares during the quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $102,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter valued at about $49,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 21.2% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 429 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. USA Financial Formulas acquired a new stake in shares of The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. raised its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 30.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total value of $310,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at $8,325,980. The trade was a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ENSG has been the subject of several analyst reports. Truist Financial increased their price objective on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. UBS Group began coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price objective for the company. Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Stephens increased their target price on shares of The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on shares of The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $164.33.

The Ensign Group Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $143.31 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $147.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $140.33. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $106.36 and a twelve month high of $158.45. 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 company has a market capitalization of $8.21 billion, a PE ratio of 34.70, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.92.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The Ensign Group’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.10 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th were paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.17%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 5.81%.

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.