Moody National Bank Trust Division Lowers Stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Moody National Bank Trust Division trimmed its holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 5.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 8,645 shares of the company’s stock after selling 537 shares during the period. Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,149,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in ENSG. Baillie Gifford & Co. purchased a new stake in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $151,827,000. FMR LLC raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 42.3% during the third 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 during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 54.6% during the third 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 during the period. World Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $21,744,000. Finally, Westfield Capital Management Co. LP purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $18,843,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $132.34 on Tuesday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $141.20 and a 200 day moving average price of $142.79. The company has a market capitalization of $7.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.04, a PEG ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.93. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $110.71 and a 1-year high of $158.45. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.21% and a net margin of 5.84%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.10 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st will be given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 31st. This is a positive change from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.19%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.05%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on ENSG. Stephens raised 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. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $161.83.

Insider Transactions at The Ensign Group

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total transaction of $93,401.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,116,582.36. This trade represents a 2.22 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.00, for a total transaction of $310,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,325,980. This represents a 3.59 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.