The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) Shares Acquired by KBC Group NV

KBC Group NV increased its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 11.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,619 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 171 shares during the period. KBC Group NV’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $233,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in The Ensign Group by 26.5% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 245,325 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,283,000 after purchasing an additional 51,367 shares during the period. Aigen Investment Management LP purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $434,000. Baillie Gifford & Co. purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the third quarter worth approximately $151,827,000. WCM Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 271,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $39,073,000 after acquiring an additional 3,186 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lisanti Capital Growth LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the third quarter worth approximately $1,213,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 2,000 shares of the firm’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 value of $310,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,325,980. This trade represents a 3.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Over the last three months, insiders sold 11,118 shares of company stock worth $1,660,200. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Stock Performance

Shares of ENSG stock opened at $144.56 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $149.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $137.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.56. The stock has a market cap of $8.28 billion, a PE ratio of 35.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.95. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $104.18 and a 1 year high of $158.45.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last issued 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 business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 was up 15.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.10 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors 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 0.17%. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 5.81%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the subject of a number of research reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. Stephens raised their target price on The Ensign Group from $163.00 to $167.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Truist Financial upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, The Ensign Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $162.20.

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.