Swiss National Bank Decreases Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Swiss National Bank reduced its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 0.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 111,200 shares of the company’s stock after selling 200 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $15,993,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 115.2% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 284 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares during the period. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new position in The Ensign Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in The Ensign Group by 30.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 385 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group assumed coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target on the stock. Stephens lifted their price objective 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. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $167.00 to $172.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 28th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $164.33.

The Ensign Group Stock Down 0.7 %

ENSG stock opened at $146.36 on Friday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $104.18 and a 1-year high of $158.45. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $148.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $137.64. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $8.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.95.

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

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity at The Ensign Group

In related news, CEO Barry Port sold 5,618 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $842,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 53,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,057,400. This represents a 9.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 3.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.