Candriam S.C.A. Makes New Investment in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Candriam S.C.A. bought a new position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund bought 27,865 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,702,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 90.2% during the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 14,618 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,102,000 after acquiring an additional 6,931 shares in the last quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 210.9% during the 3rd quarter. Icon Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,388,000 after acquiring an additional 6,545 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 67.9% during the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 13,924 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,038,000 after acquiring an additional 5,632 shares in the last quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 1,110,692 shares of the company’s stock worth $159,740,000 after acquiring an additional 10,221 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 26.1% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 379,608 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,595,000 after acquiring an additional 78,570 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ENSG opened at $130.33 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $133.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $142.23. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $113.27 and a twelve month high of $158.45. The company has a market cap of $7.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.50, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98. 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 announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a net margin of 6.99% and a return on equity of 17.07%. Research analysts predict that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 earnings per share for the current year.

The Ensign Group Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 31st were given a $0.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $0.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.19%. This is an increase from The Ensign Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 4.89%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other The Ensign Group news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.48, for a total value of $96,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 30,752 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,258,536.96. This trade represents a 2.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.66, for a total value of $259,320.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 26,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently issued reports on ENSG shares. UBS Group started coverage on The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, November 21st. They set a “buy” rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Truist Financial decreased their price target on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Macquarie increased their target price on The Ensign Group from $165.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, The Ensign Group presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.17.

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.