The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Sold by Aptus Capital Advisors LLC

Aptus Capital Advisors LLC decreased its position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 73,024 shares of the company’s stock after selling 4,740 shares during the quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC owned 0.13% of The Ensign Group worth $10,502,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of ENSG. CWM LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 16.2% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 508 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY increased its position in The Ensign Group by 2.4% in the second quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY now owns 3,018 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in The Ensign Group by 0.9% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,908 shares of the company’s stock worth $982,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in The Ensign Group by 21.2% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 429 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, Pitcairn Co. increased its position in The Ensign Group by 1.6% in the first quarter. Pitcairn Co. now owns 5,684 shares of the company’s stock worth $707,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $149.11 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $149.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $136.55. The firm has a market cap of $8.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.10, a PEG ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 0.95. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $102.33 and a 52-week high of $158.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.56, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The company reported $1.39 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.01. The Ensign Group had a net margin of 5.84% and a return on equity of 17.21%. The company had revenue of $1.08 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.07 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.10 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 30th were given a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.81%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Truist Financial increased their target price 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. 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. Oppenheimer raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $162.20.

Insider Activity

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of The Ensign Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total transaction of $283,420.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 29,125 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,127,303.75. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other The Ensign Group news, CEO Barry Port sold 5,618 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $842,700.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,057,400. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $141.71, for a total value of $283,420.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 29,125 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,127,303.75. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 13,118 shares of company stock worth $1,943,620. 3.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.