Handelsbanken Fonder AB Purchases 1,600 Shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 14.3% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 12,767 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,600 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $1,836,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY grew its position in The Ensign Group by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY now owns 3,018 shares of the company’s stock worth $373,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its position in The Ensign Group by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 7,908 shares of the company’s stock worth $982,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 21.2% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 429 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Pitcairn Co. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Pitcairn Co. now owns 5,684 shares of the company’s stock worth $707,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harfst & Associates Inc. grew its position in The Ensign Group by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. Harfst & Associates Inc. now owns 12,221 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,512,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.12% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, COO Spencer Burton sold 3,099 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.19, for a total transaction of $422,052.81. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 42,629 shares in the company, valued at $5,805,643.51. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, COO Spencer Burton sold 3,099 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.19, for a total transaction of $422,052.81. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 42,629 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,805,643.51. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Barry Port sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.00, for a total value of $420,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,520,240. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 17,217 shares of company stock worth $2,475,673 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.5 %

Shares of The Ensign Group stock opened at $145.57 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $92.69 and a one year high of $154.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $146.65 and its 200 day moving average is $131.44. The firm has a market cap of $8.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.31, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.96.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.30 by $0.02. The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.32% and a net margin of 5.68%. The company had revenue of $1.04 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.08 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 4.99 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 31st. Investors of record on Monday, September 30th will be given a dividend of $0.06 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 30th. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.16%. The Ensign Group’s payout ratio is 6.32%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ENSG has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Truist Financial upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Oppenheimer upped their price target on The Ensign Group from $155.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Macquarie initiated coverage on The Ensign Group in a research report on Friday, June 28th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $134.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $145.40.

The Ensign Group Company 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.