Sei Investments Co. Raises Holdings in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG)

Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in The Ensign Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENSG) by 2.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 303,191 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 6,897 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in The Ensign Group were worth $40,282,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of The Ensign Group by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,538,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division boosted its position in The Ensign Group by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 1,180 shares of the company’s stock valued at $157,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co. grew its holdings in The Ensign Group by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 4,998 shares of the company’s stock worth $664,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its position in shares of The Ensign Group by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,731 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Finally, DeDora Capital Inc. raised its stake in shares of The Ensign Group by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. DeDora Capital Inc. now owns 7,188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $955,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the last quarter. 96.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

The Ensign Group Price Performance

ENSG stock opened at $130.40 on Tuesday. 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 Ensign Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $113.27 and a 1 year high of $158.45. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $132.81 and a 200 day moving average of $140.61. The company has a market cap of $7.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.52, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.98.

The Ensign Group (NASDAQ:ENSG) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.11). The Ensign Group had a return on equity of 17.07% and a net margin of 6.99%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The Ensign Group, Inc. will post 5.59 EPS for the current year.

The Ensign Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be given a dividend of $0.0625 per share. This represents a $0.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.19%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. The Ensign Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 4.89%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on ENSG. Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $155.00 target price on shares of The Ensign Group in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on The Ensign Group from $170.00 to $155.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Macquarie boosted 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 research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $165.17.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Daren Shaw sold 2,000 shares of the company’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 sale, the director now owns 26,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,413,299.50. This represents a 7.06 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Barry M. Smith sold 700 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.43, for a total value of $93,401.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 30,852 shares in the company, valued at $4,116,582.36. This trade represents a 2.22 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 43,186 shares of company stock worth $6,345,115. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.

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.