Swiss National Bank Grows Position in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Swiss National Bank lifted its position in shares of The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 1.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 112,300 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,100 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $14,920,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 11.8% during the 3rd quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,619 shares of the company’s stock valued at $233,000 after buying an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc purchased a new position in The Ensign Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $236,000. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its stake in The Ensign Group by 1.7% during the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 16,169 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,325,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 229.3% in the third quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 30,564 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,396,000 after purchasing an additional 21,283 shares during the period. Finally, Pathstone Holdings LLC increased its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 2.1% during the third quarter. Pathstone Holdings LLC now owns 33,772 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,858,000 after purchasing an additional 698 shares in the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.15, for a total transaction of $90,405.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 30,052 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,881,215.80. This represents a 2.28 % 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. Also, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director now directly owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. The trade was a 7.06 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock valued at $6,345,115 in the last ninety days. 3.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

NASDAQ ENSG opened at $130.79 on Thursday. The Ensign Group, Inc. has a one year low of $113.27 and a one year high of $158.45. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $132.98 and a 200 day moving average of $141.11. 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 company has a market capitalization of $7.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.59, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last released its quarterly earnings data 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%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

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.